GIFT   OF 


THE  GRINGOS 


"  Gringos '•»!•&  tiaV.'ig-.e's  *aK(Hv^rse  Jhan  savages." 
FRONTISPIECE.     See  Page  268. 


THE   GRINGOS 

A  STORY  OF  THE  OLD  CALIFORNIA 
DA  Y8  IN  1849 


BY 

B.  M.  BOWER 

Author  of  "  Good  Indian,"  "  The 
Uphill  Climb,"  etc. 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
ANTON  OTTO  FISCHER 


BOSTON 

LITTLE,   BROWN,  AND   COMPANY 
1913 


HI 


Copyright,  1913, 
BY  LITTLE,  BKOWN,  AND  COMPANY. 


All  rights  reserved 
Published,  October,  1913 


^ 


Iprfnttra 

8.  J.  PAKKHILL  &  Co.,  BOSTON,  U.S.A. 


AUTHOR'S  NOTE 

I  wish  to  make  public  acknowledgment  of 
the  assistance  I  have  received  from  George 
W.  Lee,  a  "  Forty-niner  "  who  has  furnished 
me  with  data,  material,  and  color  which  have 
been  invaluable  in  the  writing  of  this  story. 


281388 


Contents 

CHAPTER  pAOE 

I  THE  BEGINNING  or  IT       ....  1 

II  THE  VIGILANTES         .        .        .        .        .  12 

III  THE  THING  THEY  CALLED  JUSTICE         .  30 

IV  WHAT  HAPPENED  AT  THE  OAK  ...  51 

V  HOSPITALITY 67 

VI  THE  VALLEY      .        .        .        .        .        .81 

VII  THE  LORD  OF  THE  VALLEY        ...  93 

VIII  DON  ANDRES  WANTS  A  MAJORDOMO        .  106 

IX  JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER       .        .        .  124 

X  THE    FINEST    LITTLE    WOMAN    IN    THE 

WORLD 134, 

XI  AN  ILL  WIND 144 

XII  POTENTIAL  MOODS 159 

XIII  BILL  WILSON  GOES  VISITING     .        .        .168 

XIV  RODEO  TIME 187 

XV  WHEN  CAMP-FIRES  BLINK         .        .        .199 

XVI  "  FOR  WEAPONS  I  CHOOSE  RIATAS  "       .  212 

XVII  A  FIESTA  WE  SHALL  HAVE  227 


VI 

L;  u  IM  i  Jk  i\  JL  o 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

XVIII 

WHAT  Is  LOVE  WORTH? 

.     241 

XIX 

.     252 

4MMLfl«k 

XX 

LOST  !  Two  HASTY  TEMPERS  . 

.        .259 

XXI 

FIESTA  DAY      .... 

.     271 

jLM~^LJk.A. 

XXII 

THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  . 

.        .     290 

XXIII 

THE  DUEL  OF  RIATAS     . 

.     303 

XXIV 

FOR  LOVE  AND  A  MEDAL 

.     315 

XXV 

ADIOS 

335 

List  of  Illustrations 

"  Gringos    are    savages    and    worse    than 

savages  " Frontispiece 

He  twisted  in  the  saddle  and  sent  leaden 
answer  to  the  spiteful  barking  of  the 
guns PAGE  61 

Mrs.  Jerry  took  the  senorita's  hand  and 

smiled  up  at  her "        139 

"  An  accident  it  must  appear  to  those  on 

watch"  " 


The  Gringos 

CHAPTEK  I 

THE   BEGINNING  OF   IT 

IF  you  would  glimpse  the  savage  which  normally 
lies  asleep,  thank  God,  in  most  of  us,  you  have 
only  to  do  this  thing  of  which  I  shall  tell  you,  and 
from  some  safe  sanctuary  where  leaden  couriers  may 
not  bear  prematurely  the  tidings  of  man's  debasement, 
watch  the  world  below.  You  may  see  civilization 
swing  back  with  a  snap  to  savagery  and  worse  —  be 
cause  savagery  enlightened  by  the  civilization  of  cen 
turies  is  a  deadly  thing  to  let  loose  among  men.  Our 
savage  forebears  were  but  superior  animals  groping 
laboriously  after  economic  security  and  a  social  con 
dition  that  would  yield  most  prolifically  the  fruit  of 
all  the  world's  desire,  happiness;  to-day,  when  we 
swing  back  to  something  akin  to  savagery,  we  do  it 
for  lust  of  gain,  like  our  forebears,  but  we  do  it  wit 
tingly.  So,  if  you  would  look  upon  the  unlovely  spec 
tacle  of  civilized  men  turned  savage,  and  see  them 


2  THE    GRINGOS 

toil  painfully  back  to  lawful  living,  you  have  but  to 
do  this: 

Seek  a  spot  remote  from  the  great  centers  of  our 
vaunted  civilization,  where  Nature,  in  a  wanton  gold- 
revel  of  her  own,  has  sprinkled  her  river  beds  with 
the  shining  dust,  hidden  it  away  under  ledges,  buried 
it  in  deep  canyons  in  playful  miserliness  and  salved 
with  its  potent  glow  the  time-scars  upon  the  cheeks  of 
her  gaunt  mountains.  You  have  but  to  find  a  tiny 
bit  of  Nature's  gold,  fling  it  in  the  face  of  civilization 
and  raise  the  hunting  cry.  Then,  from  that  safe  sanc 
tuary  which  you  have  chosen,  you  may  look  your  fill 
upon  the  awakening  of  the  primitive  in  man;  see  him 
throw  off  civilization  as  a  sleeper  flings  aside  the  cloak 
that  has  covered  him;  watch  the  savages  fight,  whom 
your  gold  has  conjured. 

They  will  come,  those  savages;  straight  as  the  arrow 
flies  they  will  come,  though  mountains  and  deserts 
and  hurrying  rivers  bar  their  wayr*  And  the  plodding, 
law-abiding  citizens  who  kiss  their  wives  and  hold 
close  their  babies  and  fling  hasty,  comforting  words 
over  their  shoulders  to  tottering  old  mothers  when  they 
go  to  answer  the  hunting  call  —  they  will  be  your 
savages  when  the  gold  lust  grips  them.  And  the  towns 
they  build  of  their  greed  will  be  but  the  nucleus  of  all 
the  crime  let  loose  upon  the  land.  There  will  be  men 


THE    BEGINNING   OF    IT        3 

among  your  savages;  men  in  whom  the  finer  stuff 
outweighs  the  grossness  and  the  greed.  But  to  save 
their  lives  and  that  thing  they  prize  more  than  life 
or  gold,  and  call  by  the  name  of  honor  or  friendship 
or  justice  —  that  thing  which  is  the  essence  of  all  the 
fineness  in  their  natures  —  to  save  that  and  their  lives 
they  also  must  fight,  like  savages  who  would  destroy 
them. 

There  was  a  little,  straggling  hamlet  born  of  the 
Mission  which  the  padres  founded  among  the  sand 
hills  beside  a  great,  uneasy  stretch  of  water  which  a 
dreamer  might  liken  to  a  naughty  child  that  had 
run  away  from  its  mother,  the  ocean,  through  a  little 
gateway  which  the  land  left  open  by  chance;  and  was 
hiding  there  among  the  hills,  listening  to  the  calling  of 
the  surf  voice  by  night,  out  there  beyond  the  gate,  and 
lying  sullen  and  still  when  mother  ocean  sent  the  fog 
and  the  tides  a-seeking;  a  truant  child  that  played 
by  itself  and  danced  little  wave  dances  which  it  had 
learned  of  its  mother  ages  agone,  and  laughed  up  at  the 
hills  that  smiled  down  upon  it. 

The  padres  thought  mostly  of  the  savages  who  lived 
upon  the  land,  and  strove  earnestly  to  teach  them  the 
lessons  which,  sandal-shod,  with  crucifix  to  point  the 
way,  they  had  marched  up  from  the  south  to  set  before 


4  THE    GRINGOS 

these  children  of  the  wild.  Also  came  ships,  searching 
for  that  truant  ocean-child,  the  bay,  of  which  men  had 
heard;  and  so  the  hamlet  was  born  of  civilization. 

Came  afterwards  noblemen  from  Spain,  with  parch 
ments  upon  which  the  king  himself  had  set  his  seal. 
Mile  upon  mile,  they  chose  the  land  that  pleased  them 
best;  and  by  virtue  of  the  king's  word  called  it  their 
own.  They  drove  cattle  up  from  the  south  to  feed 
upon  the  hills  and  in  the  valleys.  They  brought  beau 
tiful  wives  and  set  them  a-queening  it  over  spacious 
homes  which  they  built  of  clay  and  native  wood  and 
furnished  with  the  luxuries  they  brought  with  them 
in  the  ships.  They  reared  lovely  daughters  and  strong, 
hot-blooded  sons;  and  they  grew  rich  in  cattle  and  in 
contentment,  in  this  paradise  which  Nature  had  set 
apart  for  her  own  playground  and  which  the  zeal  of 
the  padres  had  found  and  claimed  in  the  name  of  God 
and  their  king. 

The  hamlet  beside  the  bay  was  small,  but  it  received 
the  ships  and  the  goods  they  brought  and  bartered  for 
tallow  and  hides;  and  although  the  place  numbered 
less  than  a  thousand  souls,  it  was  large  enough  to  please 
the  dons  who  dwelt  like  the  patriarchs  of  old  in  the 
valleys. 

Then  Chance,  that  sardonic  jester  who  loves  best  to 
thwart  the  dearest  desires  of  men  and  warp  the  destiny 


THE   BEGINNING   OF    IT        5 

of  nations,  became  piqued  at  the  peace  and  the  plenty 
in  the  land  which  lay  around  the  bay.  Chance,  know 
ing  well  how  best  and  quickest  to  let  savagery  loose 
upon  the  land,  plucked  a  handful  of  gold  from  the 
breast  of  Nature,  held  it  aloft  that  all  the  world  might 
be  made  mad  by  the  gleam  of  it,  and  raised  the  hunt 
ing  call. 

Chance  also  it  was  that  took  the  trails  of  two  ad 
venturous  young  fellows  whose  ears  had  caught  her  cry 
of  "  Good  hunting  "  and  set  their  faces  westward  from 
the  plains  of  Texas ;  but  here  her  jest  was  kindly.  The 
young  fellows  took  the  trail  together  and  were  con 
tent.  Together  they  heard  the  hunting  call  and  went 
seeking  the  gold  that  was  luring  thousands  across  the 
deserts;  together  they  dug  for  it,  found  it,  shared  it 
when  all  was  done.  Together  they  heeded  the  warning 
of  falling  leaf  and  chilling  night  winds,  and  with  buck 
skin  bags  comfortably  heavy  went  down  the  mountain 
trail  to  San  Francisco,  that  ugly,  moiling  center  of  the 
savagery,  to  idle  through  the  winter. 

Here,  because  of  certain  traits  which  led  each  man 
to  seek  the  thing  that  pleased  him  best,  the  trail  forked 
for  a  time.  One  was  caught  in  the  turgid  whirlpool 
which  was  the  sporting  element  of  the  town,  and  would 
not  leave  it.  Him  the  games  and  the  women  and  the 
fighting  drew  irresistibly.  The  other  sickened  of  the 


6  THE    GRINGOS 

place,  and  one  day  when  all  the  grassy  hillsides  shone 
with  the  golden  glow  of  poppies  to  prove  that  spring 
was  near,  almost  emptied  a  bag  of  gold  because  he  had 
seen  and  fancied  a  white  horse  which  a  drunken  Span 
iard  from  the  San  Joaquin  was  riding  up  and  down  the 
narrow  strip  of  sand  which  was  a  street,  showing  off 
alike  his  horsemanship  and  his  drunkenness.  The 
horse  he  bought,  and  the  outfit,  from  the  silver-trimmed 
saddle  and  bridle  to  the  rawhide  riata  hanging  coiled 
upon  one  side  of  the  narrow  fork  and  the  ivory-handled 
Colt's  revolver  tucked  snugly  in  its  holster  upon  the 
other  side.  Pleased  as  a  child  over  a  Christmas  stock 
ing,  he  straightway  mounted  the  beautiful  beast  and 
galloped  away  to  the  south,  still  led  by  Chance,  the 
jester. 

He  returned  in  a  week,  enamored  alike  of  his  horse 
and  of  the  ranch  he  had  discovered.  He  was  going 
back,  he  said.  There  were  cattle  by  the  thousands  — 
and  he  was  a  cattleman,  from  the  top  of  his  white 
sombrero  to  the  tips  of  his  calfskin  boots,  for  all  he  had 
bent  his  back  laboriously  all  summer  over  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  and  had  idled  in  town  since  Thanksgiving. 
He  was  a  cowboy  (vaquero  was  the  name  they  used 
in  those  pleasant  valleys)  and  so  was  his  friend.  And 
he  had  found  a  cowboy's  paradise,  and  a  welcome 
which  a  king  could  not  cavil  at.  Would  Jack  stake 


THE   BEGINNING   OF   IT        7 

himself  to  a  horse  and  outfit,  and  come  to  Palo  Alto 
till  the  snow  was  well  out  of  the  mountains  and  they 
could  go  back  to  their  mine  ? 

Jack  blew  three  small  smoke-rings  with  nice  pre 
cision,  watched  them  float  and  fade  while  he  thought  of 
a  certain  girl  who  had  lately  smiled  upon  him  —  and 
in  return  had  got  smile  for  smile  —  and  said  he  guessed 
he  'd  stick  to  town  life  for  a  while. 

"  Old  Don  Andres  Picardo  's  a  prince,"  argued  Dade, 
"  and  he  's  got  a  rancho  that 's  a  paradise  on  earth. 
Likes  us  gringos  —  which  is  more  than  most  of  'em 
do  —  and  said  his  house  and  all  he  's  got  is  half  mine, 
and  nothing  but  the  honor  's  all  his.  You  know  the 
Spaniards;  seems  like  Texas,  down  there.  I  told  him 
I  had  a  partner,  and  he  said  he  'd  be  doubly  honored 
if  it  pleased  my  partner  to  sleep  under  his  poor  roof  — 
red  tiles,  by  the  way,  and  not  so  poor !  —  and  sit  at 
his  table.  One  of  the  i  fine  old  families/  they  are, 
Jack.  I  came  back  after  you  and  my  traps." 

"  That  fellow  you  bought  the  white  caballo  from  got 
shot  that  same  night,"  Jack  observed  irrelevantly. 
"  He  was  weeping  all  over  me  part  of  the  evening, 
because  he  'd  sold  the  horse  and  you  had  pulled  out 
so  he  could  n't  buy  him  back.  Then  he  came  into 
Billy  Wilson's  place  and  sat  into  a  game  at  the  table 
next  to  mine ;  and  some  kind  of  a  quarrel  started.  He  'd 


8  THE    GRINGOS 

overlooked  that  gun  on  the  saddle,  it  seems,  and  so  he 
only  had  a  knife.  He  whipped  it  out,  first  pass,  but  a 
bullet  got  him  in  the  heart.  The  fellow  that  did  it  —  " 
Jack  blew  two  more  rings  and  watched  them  ab 
sently  —  "  the  Committee  rounded  him  up  and  took  him 
out  to  the  oak,  next  morning.  Trial  took  about  fifteen 
minutes,  all  told.  They  had  him  hung,  in  their  own 
minds,  before  the  greaser  quit  kicking.  I  know  the 
man  shot  in  self-defense;  I  saw  the  Spaniard  pull  his 
knife  and  start  for  him  with  blood  in  his  eye.  But 
some  of  the  Committee  had  it  in  for  Sandy,  and  so  — 
it  was  adios  for  him,  poor  devil.  They  murdered  him 
in  cold  blood.  I  told  them  so,  too.  I  told  them  —  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  n't  the  slightest  doubt  of  that ! " 
Bade  flung  away  a  half-smoked  cigarette  and  agitatedly 
began  to  roll  another  one.  "  That 's  one  reason  why 
I  want  you  to  come  down  to  Palo  Alto,  Jack.  You 
know  how  things  are  going  here,  lately;  and  Perkins 
hates  you  since  you  took  the  part  of  that  peon  he  was 
beating  up,  —  and,  by  the  way,  I  saw  that  same  Injun 
at  Don  Andres'  rancho.  Now  that  Perkins  is  Captain, 
you  '11  get  into  trouble  if  you  hang  around  this  burg 
without  some  one  to  hold  you  down.  This  ain't  any 
place  for  a  man  that 's  got  your  temper  and  tongue. 
Say,  I  heard  of  a  horse  —  " 

"  No,  you  don't !     You  can't  lead  me  out  like  that, 


THE   BEGINNING   OF    IT        9 

old  boy.  I  'm  all  right ;  Bill  Wilson  and  I  are  pretty 
good  friends ;  and  Bill 's  almost  as  high  a  card  as  the 
Committee,  if  it  ever  came  to  a  show-down.  But  it 
won't.  I  'm  not  a  fool ;  I  did  n't  quarrel  with  them, 
honest.  They  had  me  up  for  a  witness,  and  I  told  the 
truth  —  which  did  n't  happen  to  jibe  with  the  verdict 
they  meant  to  give.  The  Captain  as  good  as  said  so, 
and  I  just  pleasantly  and  kindly  told  him  that  in  my 
opinion  Sandy  was  a  better  man  than  any  one  of  'em. 
That 's  all  there  was  to  it.  The  Captain  excused  me 
from  the  witness  chair,  and  I  walked  out  of  the  tent. 
And  we  're  friendly  enough  when  we  meet ;  so  you 
need  n't  worry  about  me." 

"  Better  come,  anyway,"  urged  Bade,  though  he  was 
not  hopeful  of  winning  his  way. 

Jack  shook  his  head.  "  No,  I  don't  want  anything 
of  country  life  just  yet.  I  had  all  the  splendid  solitude 
my  system  needs,  this  last  summer.  You  like  it; 
you  're  a  kind  of  a  lone  rider,  anyway.  You  never 
did  mix  well.  You  go  back  and  honor  Don  Andres 
with  your  presence  —  and  he  is  honored,  if  the  old 
devil  only  knew  it !  Maybe,  later  on  —  So  you  like 
your  new  horse,  huh  ?  What  you  going  to  call  him  ?  " 

Bade  grinned  a  little.  "  Remember  that  picture  in 
Shakespeare,  of  '  White  Surry  '  ?  Or  it  was  in  Shake 
speare  till  you  tore  it  out  to  start  a  fire,  that  wet  night ; 


10  THE    GRINGOS 

remember  ?  The  arch  in  his  neck,  and  all  ?  I  had  n't 
gone  a  mile  on  him  till  I  was  calling  him  Surry;  and 
say,  Jack,  he  's  a  wonder !  Come  out  and  take  a  look 
at  him.  Can't  be  more  than  four  years  old,  and  gentle 
as  a  kitten.  That  poor  devil  knew  how  to  train  a 
horse,  even  if  he  did  n't  have  any  sense  about  whisky. 
I  '11  bet  money  could  n't  have  touched  him  if  the  man 
had  been  sober." 

He  stopped  in  the  doorway  and  looked  up  and  down 
the  street  with  open  disgust.  "  Come  on  down  to 
Picardo's,  Jack;  what  the  deuce  is  there  here  to  hold 
you?  How  a  man  that  knows  horses  and  the  range, 
can  stand  for  this  —  "  he  waved  a  gloved  hand  at  the 
squalid  street  — "  is  something  I  can't  understand. 
To  me,  it 's  like  hell  with  the  lid  off.  What 's  holding 
you,  anyway  ?  Another  sefiorita  ?  " 

"  I  'm  making  more  money  here  lately  than  I  did 
in  the  mine,"  Jack  evaded  smoothly.  "  I  won  a  lot 
last  night.  Whee-ee !  Say,  you  played  in  some  luck 
yourself,  old  man,  when  you  bought  that  outfit.  That 
saddle  and  bridle  's  worth  all  you  paid  for  the  whole 
thing.  White  Surry,  eh  ?  He  has  got  a  neck  —  and, 
Lord,  look  at  those  legs !  " 

"  Climb  on  and  try  him  out  once !  "  invited  Dade 
guilefully.  If  he  could  stir  the  horseman's  blood  in 


THE   BEGINNING   OF    IT      11 

Jack's  veins,  he  thought  he  might  get  him  away  from 
town. 

"  Have  n't  time  right  now,  Dade.  I  promised  to 
meet  a  friend  —  " 

Dade  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  painstakingly 
smoothed  the  hair  tassel  which  dangled  from  the  brow- 
band.  The  Spaniard  had  owned  a  fine  eye  for  effect 
when  he  chose  jet  black  trappings  for  Surry,  who  was 
white  to  his  shining  hoofs. 

"  All  right ;  I  '11  put  him  in  somewhere  till  after 
dinner.  Then  I  'm  going  to  pull  out  again.  I  can't 
stand  this  hell-pot  of  a  town  —  not  after  the  Picardo 
hacienda." 

"  I  wonder,"  grinned  Jack  slyly,  "  if  there  is  n't  a 
senorita  at  Palo  Alto  ?  " 

He  got  no  answer  of  any  sort.  Dade  was  combing 
with  his  fingers  the  crinkled  mane  which  fell  to  the 
very  chest  of  his  new  horse,  and  if  he  heard  he  made 
no  betraying  sign. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  VIGILANTES 

BILL  WILSON  came  to  the  door  of  his  saloon  and 
stood  with  his  hands  on  his  hips,  looking  out 
upon  the  heterogeneous  assembly  of  virile  manhood 
that  formed  the  bulk  of  San  Francisco's  population  a 
year  or  two  after  the  first  gold  cry  had  been  raised. 
Above  his  head  flapped  the  great  cloth  sign  tacked  quite 
across  the  rough  building,  heralding  to  all  who  could 
read  the  words  that  this  was  BILL  WILSON'S 
PLACE.  A  flaunting  bit  of  information  it  was,  and 
quite  superfluous;  since  practically  every  man  in  San 
Francisco  drifted  towards  it,  soon  or  late,  as  the  place 
where  the  most  whisky  was  drunk  and  the  most  gold 
lost  and  won,  with  the  most  beautiful  women  to  smile 
or  frown  upon  the  lucky,  in  all  the  town. 

The  trade  wind  knew  that  Bill  Wilson's  place  needed 
no  sign  save  its  presence  there,  and  was  loosening  a 
corner  in  the  hope  of  carrying  it  quite  away  as  a  trophy. 
Bill  glanced  up,  promised  the  resisting  cloth  an  extra 
nail  or  two,  and  let  his  thoughts  and  his  eyes  wander 
again  to  the  sweeping  tide  of  humanity  that  flowed  up 


THE   VIGILANTES  13 

and  down  the  straggling  street  of  sand  and  threatened 
to  engulf  the  store  which  men  spoke  of  simply  as 
"  Smith's." 

A  shipload  of  supplies  had  lately  been  carted  there, 
and  miners  were  feverishly  buying  bacon,  beans,  "  self- 
rising  "  flour,  matches,  tea  —  everything  within  the 
limits  of  their  gold  dust  and  their  carrying  capacity  — 
which  they  needed  for  hurried  trips  to  the  hills  where 
was  hidden  the  gold  they  dreamed  of  night  and  day. 

To  Bill  that  tide  meant  so  much  business;  and  he 
was  not  the  man  to  grudge  his  friend  Smith  a  share  of 
it.  When  the  fog  crept  in  through  the  Golden  Gate  — 
a  gate  which  might  never  be  closed  against  it  —  the 
tide  of  business  would  set  towards  his  place,  just  as 
surely  as  the  ocean  tide  would  clamor  at  the  rocky 
wall  out  there  to  the  west.  In  the  meantime,  he  was 
not  loath  to  spend  a  quiet  hour  or  two  with  an  empty 
gaming  hall  at  his  back. 

His  eyes  went  incuriously  over  the  familiar  crowd 
to  the  little  forest  of  flag-foliaged  masts  that  told  where 
lay  the  ships  in  the  bay  below  the  town.  Bill  could 
not  name  the  nationality  of  them  all;  for  the  hunting 
call  had  reached  to  the  far  corners  of  the  earth,  and 
strange  flags  came  fluttering  across  strange  seas,  with 
pirate-faced  adventurers  on  the  decks  below,  chattering 
in  strange  tongues  of  California  gold.  Bill  could  not 


14  THE    GRINGOS 

name  all  the  flags,  but  he  could  name  two  of  the  bonds 
that  bind  all  nations  into  one  common  humanity.  He 
cculd  produce  one  of  them,  and  he  was  each  night 
gaining  more  of  the  other;  for,  be  they  white  men  or 
brown,  spoke  they  his  language  or  one  he  had  never 
heard  until  they  passed  through  the  Golden  Gate,  they 
would  give  good  gold  for  very  bad  whisky. 

Even  the  Digger  Indians,  squatting  in  the  sun  be 
side  his  door  and  gazing  stolidly  at  the  town  and  the 
bay  beyond,  would  sell  their  souls  —  for  which  the 
gray-gowned  padres  prayed  ineffectively  in  the  chapel 
at  Dolores  —  their  wives  or  their  other,  dearer  posses 
sions  for  a  very  little  bottle  of  the  stuff  that  was  fast 
undoing  the  civilizing  work  of  the  Mission.  The 
padres  had  come  long  before  the  hunting  cry  was 
raised,  and  they  had  labored  earnestly;  but  their 
prayers  and  their  preaching  were  like  reeds  beneath 
the  tread  of  elephants,  when  gold  came  down  from  the 
mountains,  and  whisky  came  in  through  the  Golden 
Gate. 

Jack  Allen,  coming  lazily  down  through  the  long, 
deserted  room,  edged  past  Bill  in  the  doorway. 

"  Hello/7  Bill  greeted  with  a  carefully  casual  man 
ner,  as  if  he  had  been  waiting  for  the  meeting,  but 
did  not  want  Jack  to  suspect  the  fact.  "  Up  for  all 
day  ?  Where  you  headed  for  ?  " 


THE   VIGILANTES  15 

"  Breakfast  —  or  dinner,  whichever  you  want  to  call 
it.  Then  I'm  going  to  take  a  walk  and  get  the  kinks 
out  of  my  legs.  Say,  old  man,  I  'm  going  to  knock  a 
board  off  the  foot  of  that  bunk,  to-night,  or  else  sleep 
on  the  floor.  Was  wood  scarce,  Bill,  when  you  built 
that  bed  ? " 

"  Carpenter  was  a  little  feller,"  chuckled  Bill,  "  and 
I  guess  he  measured  it  by  himself.  Charged  a  full 
length  price,  though,  I  remember!  I  meant  to  tell  you 
when  you  hired  that  room,  Jack,  that  you  better  take 
the  axe  to  bed  with  you.  Sure,  knock  a  board  off;  two 
boards,  if  you  like.  Take  all  the  boards  off !  "  urged 
Bill,  in  a  burst  of  generosity.  "  You  might  better  be 
making  that  bunk  over,  m'  son,  than  trying  to  take  the 
whole  blamed  town  apart  and  put  it  together  again, 
like  you  was  doing  last  night."  In  this  way  Bill  tact 
fully  swung  to  the  subject  that  lay  heavy  on  his  mind. 

Jack  borrowed  a  match,  cupped  his  fingers  around 
his  lips  that  wanted  to  part  in  a  smile,  and  lighted  his 
before-breakf ast  cigarette  —  though  the  sun  hung  al 
most  straight  overhead. 

"  So  that 's  it,"  he  observed,  when  the  smoke  took 
on  the  sweet  aroma  of  a  very  mild  tobacco.  "  I  saw 
by  the  back  of  your  neck  that  you  had  something  on 
your  mind.  What 's  the  matter,  Bill  ?  Don't  you  think 
the  old  town  needs  taking  apart  ? " 


16  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Oh,  it  needs  it,  all  right.  But  it 's  too  big  a  job 
for  one  man  to  tackle.  You  leave  that  to  Daddy  Time ; 
he  's  the  only  reformer  —  " 

"  Say,  Bill,  I  never  attempted  to  reform  anybody 
or  anything  in  my  life ;  I  'd  hate  to  begin  with  a  job 
the  size  of  this."  He  waved  his  cigarette  toward  the 
shifting  crowd.  "  But  I  do  think  —  " 

"  And  right  there  's  where  you  make  a  big  mistake. 
You  don't  want  to  think!  Or  if  you  do,  don't  think 
out  loud;  not  where  such  men  as  Swift  and  Rawhide 
and  the  Captain  can  hear  you.  That 's  what  I  mean, 
Jack." 

Jack  eyed  him  with  a  smile  in  his  eyes.  "  Some 
men  might  think  you  were  afraid  of  that  bunch,"  he 
observed  with  characteristic  bluntness.  "  I  know  you 
are  n't,  and  so  I  don't  see  why  you  want  me  to  be. 
You  know,  and  I  know,  that  the  Vigilance  Committee 
has  turned  rotten  to  the  core ;  every  decent  man  in  San 
Francisco  knows  it.  You  know  that  Sandy  killed  that 
Spaniard  in  self-defense  —  or  if  you  did  n't  see  the 
fracas,  I  tell  you  now  that  he  did;  I  saw  the  whole 
thing.  You  know,  at  any  rate,  that  the  Vigilantes 
took  him  out  and  hung  him  because  they  wanted  to 
get  rid  of  him,  and  that  came  the  nearest  to  an  excuse 
they  could  find.  You  know  —  " 

"  Oh,  I  know !  "     Bill's  voice  was  sardonic.     "  I 


THE   VIGILANTES  17 

know  they  '11  be  going  around  with  a  spy-glass  looking 
for  an  excuse  to  hang  you,  too,  if  you  don't  quit  talk 
ing  about  'em." 

Jack  smiled  and  so  let  a  thin  ribbon  of  smoke  float 
up  and  away  from  his  lips. 

Bill  saw  the  smile  and  flushed  a  little;  but  he  was 
not  to  be  laughed  down,  once  he  was  fairly  started. 
He  laid  two  well-kept  fingers  upon  the  other's  arm  and 
spoke  soberly,  refusing  to  treat  the  thing  as  lightly  as 
the  other  was  minded  to  do. 

"  Oh,  you  '11  laugh,  but  it 's  a  fact,  and  you  know 
it.  Why,  ain't  Sandy's  case  proof  enough  that  I  'm 
right?  I  heard  you  telling  a  crowd  in  there  last 
night  —  "  Bill  tilted  his  head  backward  towards  the 
room  behind  them  —  "  that  this  law-and-order  talk  is 
all  a  farce.  What  if  it  is?  It  don't  do  any  good  for 
you  to  bawl  it  out  in  public  and  get  the  worst  men  in 
the  Committee  down  on  you,  does  it  ? 

"  What  you  'd  better  do,  Jack,  is  go  on  down  to  Palo 
Alto  where  your  pardner  is.  He  's  got  some  sense.  I 
would  n't  stay  in  the  darned  town  overnight,  the  way 
they  're  running  things  now,  if  it  was  n't  for  my  busi 
ness.  Ever  since  they  made  Tom  Perkins  captain 
there 's  been  hell  to  pay  all  round.  I  can  hold  my 
own;  I  'm  up  where  they  don't  dare  tackle  me;  but  you 
take  a  fool's  advice  and  pull  out  before  the  Captain 


18  THE    GRINGOS 

gets  his  eagle  eye  on  you.  Talk  like  you  was  slinging 
around  last  night  is  about  as  good  a  trouble-raiser  as  if 
you  emptied  both  them  guns  of  yours  into  that  crowd 
out  there." 

"  You  're  asking  me  to  run  before  there  's  anything 
to  run  away  from."  Jack's  lips  began  to  show  the  line 
of  stubbornness.  "  I  have  n't  quarreled  with  the 
Captain,  except  that  little  fuss  a  month  ago,  when  he 
was  hammering  that  peon  because  he  could  n't  talk 
English;  I'm  not  going  to.  And  if  they  did  try  any 
funny  work  with  me,  old-timer,  why  —  as  you  say, 
these  guns  —  " 

"  Oh,  all  right,  m'  son !  Have  it  your  own  way,"  Bill 
retorted  grimly.  "  I  know  you  've  got  a  brace  of  guns ; 
and  I  know  you  can  plant  a  bullet  where  you  want  it 
to  land,  about  as  quick  as  the  next  one.  I  have  n't  a 
doubt  but  what  you  're  equal  to  the  Vigilantes,  with 
both  hands  tied!  Of  course,"  he  went  on  with  heavy 
irony,  "  I  have  known  of  some  mighty  able  men  swing 
ing  from  the  oak,  lately.  There  '11  likely  be  more, 
before  the  town  wakes  up  and  weeds  out  some  of  the 
cutthroat  element  that 's  running  things  now  to  suit 
themselves." 

Jack  looked  at  him  quickly,  struck  by  something  in 
Bill's  voice  that  betrayed  his  real  concern.  "  Don't 
take  it  to  heart,  Bill,"  he  said,  dropping  his  bantering 


THE   VIGILANTES  19 

and  his  stubbornness  together.  "  I  won't  air  my  views 
quite  so  publicly,  after  this.  I  know  I  was  a  fool  to 
talk  quite  as  straight  as  I  did  last  night ;  but  some  one 
else  brought  up  the  subject  of  Sandy;  and  Swift  called 
him  a  name  Sandy  'd  have  smashed  him  in  the  face 
for,  if  he  'd  been  alive  and  heard  it.  I  always  liked 
the  fellow,  and  it  made  me  hot  to  see  them  hustle 
him  out  of  town  and  hang  him  like  they  'd  shoot  a  dog 
that  had  bitten  some  one,  when  I  knew  he  didn't  de 
serve  it.  You  or  I  would  have  shot,  just  as  quick  as 
he  did,  if  a  drunken  Spaniard  made  for  us  with  a 
knife.  So  would  the  Captain,  or  Swift,  or  any  of  the 
others. 

"  I  know  —  I  've  got  a  nasty  tongue  when  some 
thing  riles  me,  and  I  lash  out  without  stopping  to 
think.  Dade  has  given  me  the  devil  for  that,  more 
times  than  I  can  count.  He  went  after  me  about  this 
very  thing,  too,  the  other  day.  I  '11  try  and  forget 
about  Sandy ;  it  does  n't  make  pleasant  remembering, 
anyway.  And  I  '11  promise  to  count  a  hundred  before 
I  mention  the  Committee  above  a  whisper,  after  this  — • 
nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  before  I  take  the  name  of 
Swift  or  the  Captain  in  vain !  "  He  smiled  full  at 
Bill  —  a  smile  to  make  men  love  him  for  the  big- 
hearted  boy  he  was. 

But  Bill  did  not  grin  back.     "  Well,  it  won't  hurt 


20  THE    GRINGOS 

you  any ;  they  're  bad  men  to  fuss  with,  both  of  'em," 
he  warned  somberly. 

"  Come  on  out  and  climb  a  hill  or  two  with  me," 
Jack  urged.  "  You  've  got  worse  kinks  in  your  system, 
to-day,  than  I  've  got  in  my  legs.  You  won't  ?  Well, 
better  go  back  and  take  another  sleep,  then ;  it  may  put 
you  in  a  more  optimistic  mood."  He  went  off  up  the 
street  towards  the  hills  to  the  south,  turning  in  at  the 
door  of  a  tented  eating-place  for  his  belated  breakfast. 

"  Optimistic  hell !  "  grunted  Bill.  "  You  can't  tell 
a  man  anything  he  don't  think  he  knows  better  than  you 
do,  till  he  's  past  thirty.  I  was  a  fool  to  try,  I  reckon." 

He  glowered  at  the  vanishing  figure,  noting  anew  how 
tall  and  straight  Jack  was  in  his  close-fitting  buckskin 
jacket,  with  the  crimson  sash  knotted  about  his  middle 
in  the  Spanish  style,  his  trousers  tucked  into  his  boots 
like  the  miners,  and  to  crown  all,  a  white  sombrero  such 
as  the  vaqueros  wore.  Handsome  and  headstrong  he 
was;  and  Bill  shook  his  head  over  the  combination 
which  made  for  trouble  in  that  land  where  the  primal 
instincts  lay  all  on  the  surface;  where  men  looked 
askance  at  the  one  who  drew  oftenest  the  glances  of 
the  women  and  who  walked  erect  and  unafraid  in  the 
midst  of  the  lawlessness.  Jack  Allen  was  fast  making 
enemies,  and  no  one  knew  it  better  than  Bill. 

When  the  young  fellow   disappeared,   Bill  looked 


THE   VIGILANTES  21 

again  at  the  shifting  crowd  upon  which  his  eyes  were 
wont  to  rest  with  the  speculative  gaze  of  a  farmer  who 
leans  upon  the  fence  that  bounds  his  land,  and  regards 
his  wheat-fields  ripening  for  the  sickle.  He  liked  Jack, 
and  the  soul  of  him  was  bitter  with  the  bitterness  that 
is  the  portion  of  maturity,  when  it  must  stand  by  and 
see  youth  learn  by  the  pangs  of  experience  that  fire 
will  burn  most  agonizingly  if  you  hold  your  hand  in 
the  blaze. 

One  of  his  night  bartenders  came  up;  and  Bill,  dis 
missing  Jack  from  his  mind,  with  a  grunt  of  disgust, 
went  in  to  talk  over  certain  changes  which  he  meant 
to  make  in  the  bar  as  soon  as  he  could  get  material 
and  carpenter  together  upon  the  spot. 

He  was  still  fussing  with  certain  of  the  petty  details 
that  make  or  mar  the  smooth  running  of  an  establish 
ment  like  his,  when  his  ear,  trained  to  detect  the  first 
note  of  discord  in  the  babble  which  filled  his  big  room 
by  night,  caught  an  ominous  note  in  the  hum  of  the 
street  crowd  outside.  He  lifted  his  head  from  examin 
ing  a  rickety  table-leg. 

"  Go  see  what 's  happened,  Jim,"  he  suggested  to  the 
man,  who  had  just  come  up  with  a  hammer  and  some 
nails;  and  went  back  to  dreaming  of  the  time  when 
his  place  should  be  a  palace,  and  he  would  not  have  to 
nail  the  legs  on  his  tables  every  few  days  because  of 


22  THE    GRINGOS 

the  ebullitions  of  excitement  in  his  customers.  He 
had  strengthened  the  legs,  and  was  testing  them  by 
rocking  the  table  slightly  with  a  broad  palm  upon  it, 
when  Jim  came  back. 

"  Some  shooting  scrape,  back  on  the  flat,"  Jim  an 
nounced  indifferently.  "  Some  say  it  was  a  hold-up. 
Two  or  three  of  the  Committee  have  gone  out  to  in 
vestigate." 

"Yeah  — I'll  bet  the  Committee  went  out!" 
snorted  Bill.  "  They  '11  be  lynching  the  Diggers'  dogs 
for  fighting,  when  the  supply  of  humans  runs  out. 
They'  ve  just  about  played  that  buckskin  out,  packing 
men  out  to  the  oak  to  hang  'em  lately,"  he  went  on 
glumly,  sliding  the  rejuvenated  table  into  its  place  in 
the  long  row  that  filled  that  side  of  the  room.  "  I 
never  saw  such  an  enthusiastic  bunch  as  they  're  get 
ting  to  be !  " 

"  That 's  right,"  Jim  agreed  perfunctorily,  as  a  man 
is  wont  to  agree  with  his  employer.  "  Somebody  '11 
hang,  all  right." 

"  There  's  plenty  that  need  it  —  if  the  Committee 
only  had  sense  enough  to  pick  'em  out  and  leave  the 
rest  alone,"  growled  Bill,  going  from  table  to  table, 
tipping  and  testing  for  other  legs  that  wobbled. 

Jim  sensed  the  rebuff  in  his  tone  and  went  back  to 
the  door,  around  which  a  knot  of  men  engaged  in 


THE   VIGILANTES  23 

desultory  conjectures  while  they  waited  expectantly. 
A  large  tent  that  Perkins  had  found  convenient  as  a 
temporary  jail  for  those  unfortunates  upon  whom  his 
heavy  hand  fell  swiftly,  stood  next  to  Bill's  place;  and 
it  spoke  eloquently  of  the  manner  in  which  the  Com 
mittee  then  worked,  that  men  gathered  there  instinc 
tively  at  the  first  sign  of  trouble.  For  when  the  Com 
mittee  went  out  after  culprits,  it  did  not  return  empty- 
handed,  as  the  populace  knew  well.  Zealous  custodians 
of  the  law  were  they,  as  Bill  had  said;  and  though 
they  might  have  exchanged  much  of  their  zeal  for  a 
little  of  Bill's  sense  of  justice  (to  the  betterment  of  the 
town),  few  of  the  waiting  crowd  had  the  temerity  to 
say  so. 

Up  the  street,  necks  (whose  owners  had  not  thought 
it  worth  while  to  wade  through  the  sand  to  the  scene 
of  the  shooting)  were  being  craned  towards  the  flat  be 
hind  the  town,  where  the  Captain  and  a  few  of  his 
men  had  hurried  at  the  first  shot. 

"  They  Jre  comin',"  Jim  announced,  thrusting  his 
head  into  the  gambling  hall  and  raising  his  voice  above 
the  sound  of  the  boss's  nail-driving. 

"  Well  —  what  of  it  ?  "  snapped  Bill.  "  Why  don't 
you  yell  at  me  that  the  sun  is  going  to  set  in  the  west 
to-night  ?  "  Bill  drove  the  head  of  a  four-cornered,  iron 
nail  clean  out  of  sight  in  a  table  top.  And  Jirn  pru- 


24  THE    GRINGOS 

dently  withdrew  his  head  and  turned  his  face  and  his 
attention  towards  the  little  procession  that  was  just 
coming  into  sight  at  the  end  of  the  rambling  street, 
with  the  crowd  closing  in  behind  it  as  the  water  comes 
surging  together  behind  an  ocean  liner. 

Jim  worshiped  his  boss,  but  he  knew  better  than 
to  argue  with  him  when  Bill  happened  to  be  in  that 
particular  mood,  which,  to  tell  the  truth,  was  not  often. 
But  in  five  minutes  or  less  he  had  forgotten  the  snub. 
His  head  popped  in  again. 

"  Bill !  " 

There  may  be  much  meaning  in  a  tone,  though  it 
utters  but  one  unmeaning  word.  Bill  dropped  a  hand 
ful  of  nails  upon  a  table  and  came  striding  down  the 
long  room  to  the  door;  pushed  Jim  unceremoniously 
aside  and  stood  upon  the  step.  He  was  just  in  time  to 
look  into  the  rageful,  blue  eyes  of  Jack  Allen,  walking 
with  a  very  straight  back  and  a  contemptuous  smile  on 
his  lips,  between  the  Captain  and  one  of  his  trusted 
lieutenants. 

Bill's  fingers  clenched  suggestively  upon  the  handle 
of  the  hammer.  His  jaw  slackened  and  then  pushed 
itself  forward  to  a  fighting  angle  while  he  stared,  and 
he  named  in  his  amazement  that  place  which  the  padres 
had  taught  the  Indians  to  fear. 

The  Captain  heard  him  and  grinned  sourly  as  he 


THE   VIGILANTES  25 

passed  on.  Jack  heard  him,  and  his  smile  grew  twisted 
at  the  tone  in  which  the  word  was  uttered;  but  he 
still  smiled,  which  was  more  than  many  a  man  would 
have  done  in  his  place. 

Bill  stood  while  the  rest  of  that  grim  procession 
passed  his  place.  There  was  another,  a  young  fellow 
who  looked  ready  to  cry,  walking  unsteadily  behind 
Jack,  both  his  arms  gripped  by  others  of  the  Vigilance 
Committee.  There  were  two  crude  stretchers,  borne 
by  stolid-faced  miners  in  red  flannel  shirts  and  clay- 
stained  boots.  On  the  first  a  dead  man  lay  grinning 
up  at  the  sun,  his  teeth  just  showing  under  his  bushy 
mustache,  a  trickle  of  red  running  down  from  his 
temple.  On  the  next  a  man  groaned  and  mumbled 
blasphemy  between  his  groanings. 

Bill  took  it  all  in,  a  single  glance  for  each,  —  a  glance 
trained  by  gambling  to  see  a  great  deal  between  the 
flicker  of  his  lashes.  He  did  not  seem  to  look  once  at 
the  Captain,  yet  he  knew  that  Jack's  ivory-handled 
pistols  hung  at  the  Captain's  rocking  hips  as  he  went 
striding  past;  and  he  knew  that  malice  lurked  under 
the  grizzled  hair  which  hid  the  Captain's  cruel  lips; 
and  that  satisfaction  glowed  in  the  hard,  sidelong  glance 
he  gave  his  prisoner. 

He  stood  until  he  saw  Jack  duck  his  head  under 
the  tent  flaps  of  the  jail  and  the  white-faced  youth 


26  THE    GRINGOS 

follow  shrinking  after.  He  stood  while  the  armed 
guards  took  up  their  stations  on  the  four  sides  of  the 
tent  and  hegan  pacing  up  and  down  the  paths  worn 
deep  in  tragic  significance.  He  saw  the  wounded  man 
carried  into  Pete's  place  across  the  way,  and  the  dead 
man  taken  farther  down  the  street.  He  saw  the  crowd 
split  into  uneasy  groups  which  spoke  a  common  tongue, 
that  they  might  exchange  unasked  opinions  upon  this, 
the  biggest  sensation  since  Sandy  left  town  with  his 
ankles  tied  under  the  vicious-eyed  buckskin  whose 
riders  rode  always  toward  the  west  and  whose  saddle 
was  always  empty  when  he  came  back  to  his  stall  at 
the  end  of  the  town.  Bill  saw  it  all,  to  the  last  detail ; 
but  after  his  one  explosive  oath,  he  was  apparently  the 
most  indifferent  of  them  all. 

When  the  Captain  ended  his  curt  instructions  to  the 
guard  and  came  towards  him,  Bill  showed  a  disposition 
to  speak. 

"  Who  's  the  kid  ?  "  he  drawled  companionably,  while 
his  fingers  itched  upon  the  hammer,  and  the  soul  of 
him  lusted  for  sight  of  the  hole  it  could  make  in  the 
skull  of  the  Captain.  "  I  don't  recollect  seeing  him 
around  town  —  and  there  ain't  many  faces  I  forget, 
either." 

The  Captain  shot  him  a  surprised  look  that  was  an 
unconscious  tribute  to  Bill's  diplomatic  art.  But  Bill's 


THE    VIGILANTES  27 

level  glance  would  have  disarmed  a  keener  man  than 
Tom  Perkins. 

Perkins  stopped.  "  Stranger,  from  what  he  said  — 
though  I  Ve  got  my  doubts.  Some  crony  of  Allen's,  I 
expect.  It  was  him  done  the  shooting ;  the  kid  did  n't 
have  any  gun  on  him.  Allen  did  n't  deny  it,  either." 

"  No  —  he  's  just  bull-headed  enough  to  tough  it 
out,"  commented  Bill.  "  What  was  the  row  about  —  do 
yuh  know  ? " 

Perkins  stiffened.  "  That,"  he  said  with  some  dig 
nity,  "  will  come  out  at  the  trial.  He  killed  Rawhide 
outright,  and  Texas  Bill  will  die,  I  reckon.  The  trial 
will  show  what  kinda  excuse  he  thought  he  had." 
Having  delivered  himself  thus  impartially  and  with 
malice  towards  none,  Perkins  started  on. 

"Oh,  say!  You  don't  mind  if  I  talk  to  'em?" 
Bill  gritted  his  teeth  at  having  to  put  the  sentence  in 
that  favor-seeking  tone,  but  he  did  it,  nevertheless. 

The  Captain  scowled  under  his  black,  slouch  hat. 
"  I  've  give  strict  orders  not  to  let  anybody  inside  the 
tent  till  after  the  trial,"  he  said  shortly. 

"  Oh,  that 's  all  right.  I  '11  talk  to  'em  through  the 
door,"  Bill  agreed  equably.  "  Jack  owes  me  some 
money." 

The  Captain  muttered  unintelligibly  and  passed  on, 
and  Bill  chose  to  interpret  the  mutter  as  consent.  He 


28  THE    GRINGOS 

strolled  over  to  the  tent,  joked  condescendingly  with  the 
guard  who  stood  before  it,  and  announced  that  the 
Captain  had  said  he  might  talk  to  the  prisoners. 

"  I  did  not,"  said  the  Captain  unexpectedly  at  his 
shoulder.  "  I  said  you  could  n't.  After  the  trial,  you 
can  collect  what 's  coming  to  you,  Mr.  Wilson.  That 
is,"  he  added  hastily,  "  in  case  Allen  should  be  con 
victed.  If  he  ain't,  you  can  do  as  you  please."  He 
looked  full  at  the  guard.  "  Shoot  any  man  that  at 
tempts  to  enter  that  tent  or  talk  to  the  prisoners  with 
out  my  permission,  Shorty,"  he  directed,  and  turned 
his  back  on  Bill. 

Bill  did  not  permit  one  muscle  of  his  face  to  twitch. 
"  All  right,"  he  drawled,  "  I  guess  I  won't  go  broke 
if  I  don't  get  it.  You  mind  what  your  Captain  tells 
you,  Shorty !  He  's  running  this  show,  and  what  he 
says  goes.  You  've  got  a  good  man  over  yuh,  Shorty. 
A  fine  man.  He  '11  weed  out  the  town  till  it  '11  look 
like  grandpa's  onion  bed  —  if  the  supply  of  rope  don't 
give  out !  "  Whereupon  he  strolled  carelessly  back  to 
his  place,  and  went  in  as  if  the  incident  were  squeezed 
dry  of  interest  for  him.  He  walked  to  the  far  end  of 
the  big  room,  sat  deliberately  down  upon  a  little  table, 
and  rewarded  himself  for  his  forbearance  by  cursing 
methodically  the  Captain,  the  Committee  of  which  he 
was  the  leader,  the  men  who  had  witlessly  given  him 


THE   VIGILANTES  29 

the  power  he  used  so  ruthlessly  as  pleased  him  best, 
and  Jack  Allen,  whose  ill-timed  criticisms  and  hot 
headed  freedom  of  speech  had  brought  upon  himself 
the  weight. of  the  Committee's  dread  hand. 

"  Damn  him,  I  tried  to  tell  him !  "  groaned  Bill,  his 
face  hidden  behind  his  palms.  "  They'll  hang  him  — 
and  darn  my  oldest  sister's  cat's  eyes,  somebody  '11  sweat 
blood  for  it,  too ! "  (Bill,  you  will  observe,  had 
reached  the  end  of  real  blasphemy  and  was  forced  to 
improvise  milder  expletives  as  he  went  along.)  "  There 
ought  to  be  enough  decent  men  in  this  town  to  —  " 

"  Did  you  git  to  see  Jack  ?  "  ventured  Jim,  coming 
anxiously  up  to  his  boss. 

The  tone  of  him,  which  was  that  hushed  tone  which 
we  employ  in  the  presence  of  the  dead,  so  incensed 
Bill  that  for  answer  he  threw  the  hammer  viciously  in 
his  direction.  Jim  took  the  hint  and  retreated  hastily. 

"  No,  damn  'em,  they  won't  let  me  near  him,"  said 
Bill,  ashamed  of  his  violence.  "  I  knew  they  'd  get 
him ;  but  I  did  n't  think  they  'd  get  him  so  quick. 
I  sent  a  letter  down  by  an  Injun  this  morning  to  his 
pardner  to  come  up  and  get  him  outa  town  before  he  — 
But  it's  too  late  now.  That  talk  he  made  last  night  —  " 

"  Say,  he  shot  Swift  in  the  arm,  too,"  said  Jim. 
"  Pity  he  did  n't  kill  him.  They  're  getting  a  jury  to 
gether  already.  Say !  Ain't  it  hell  ?  " 

i 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  THING  THEY  CALLED  JUSTICE 

JACK  stared  meditatively  across  at  the  young  fel 
low  sitting  hunched  upon  another  of  the  boxes 
that  were  the  seats  in  this  tent-jail,  which  was  also 
the  courtroom  of  the  Vigilance  Committee,  and  me 
chanically  counted  the  slow  tears  that  trickled  down 
between  the  third  and  fourth  fingers  of  each  hand.  A 
half-hour  spent  so  would  have  rasped  the  nerves  of  the 
most  phlegmatic  man  in  the  town,  and  Jack  was  not 
phlegmatic;  fifteen  minutes  of  watching  that  silent 
weeping  sufficed  to  bring  a  muffled  explosion. 

"  Ah,  for  God's  sake,  brace  up ! "  he  gritted. 
"  There  's  some  hope  for  you  —  if  you  don't  spoil  what 
chance  you  have  got,  by  crying  around  like  a  baby. 
Brace  up  and  be  a  man,  anyway.  It  won't  hurt  any 
worse  if  you  grin  about  it." 

The  young  fellow  felt  gropingly  for  a  red-figured 
bandanna,  found  it  and  wiped  his  face  and  his  eyes  de 
jectedly.  "  I  beg  your  pardon  for  seeming  a  coward," 
he  apologized  huskily.  "  I  got  to  thinking  about  my 
—  m-mother  and  sisters,  and  —  " 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     81 

Jack  winced.  Mother  and  sisters  he  had  longed  for 
all  his  life.  "  Well,  you  hetter  be  thinking  how  you  '11 
get  out  of  the  scrape  you  're  in,"  he  advised,  with  a 
little  of  Bill  Wilson's  grimness.  "  I  'm  afraid  I  'm  to 
blame,  in  a  way;  and  yet,  if  I  hadn't  mixed  into  the 
fight,  you  Jd  be  dead  by  now.  Maybe  that  would  have 
been  just  as  well,  seeing  how  things  have  turned  out," 
he  grinned.  "  Still  —  have  a  smoke  ?  " 

"  I  never  used  tobacco  in  my  life,"  declined  the 
youth  somewhat  primly. 

"  No,  I  don't  reckon  you  ever  did !  "  Jack  eyed 
him  with  a  certain  amount  of  pitying  amusement.  "  A 
fellow  that  will  come  gold-hunting  without  a  gun  to 
his  name,  would  not  use  tobacco,  or  swear,  or  do  any 
thing  that  a  perfect  lady  could  n't  do !  However,  you 
put  up  a  good  fight  with  your  fists,  old  man,  and  that 's 
something." 

"  I  'd  have  been  killed,  though,  if  you  had  n't  shot 
when  you  did.  They  were  too  much  for  me.  I  have  n't 
tried  to  thank  you  —  " 

"  No,  I  should  n't  think  you  would,"  grinned  Jack. 
"  I  don't  see  yet  where  I  've  done  you  any  particular 
favor:  from  robbers  to  Vigilance  Committee  might  be 
called  an  up-to-date  version  of  '  Out  of  the  frying-pan 
into  the  fire.'  " 

The  boy  glanced  fearfully  toward  the  closed  tent- 


82  THE    GRINGOS 


"  Ssh !  "  he  whispered.  "  The  guard  can 
hear  —  " 

"  Oh,  that  's  all  right,"  returned  Jack,  urged  per 
haps  to  a  conscious  bravado  by  the  very  weakness  of  the 
other.  "  It  's  all  day  with  me,  anyway.  I  may  as  well 
say  what  I  think. 

"  And  so —  "  He  paused  to  blow  one  of  his  favorite 
little  smoke  rings  and  watch  it  float  to  the  dingy  ridge 
pole,  where  it  flickered  and  faded  into  a  blue  haze 
"  —  and  so,  1 'm  going  to  say  right  out  in  meeting 
what  I  think  of  this  town  and  the  Committee  they  let 
measure  out  justice.  Justice ! "  He  laughed  sar 
donically.  "  Poor  old  lady,  she  could  n't  stop  within 
forty  miles  of  Perkins7  Committee  if  she  had  forty 
bandages  over  her  eyes,  and  both  ears  plugged  with 
cotton!  You  wait  till  their  farce  of  a  trial  is  over. 
You  may  get  off,  by  a  scratch  —  I  hope  so.  But  un 
less  Bill  Wilson  —  " 

"  Aw,  yuh  need  n't  pin  no  hopes  on  Bill  Wilson !  " 
came  a  heavy,  malicious  voice  through  the  tent  wall. 
"  All  hell  can't  save  yuh,  Jack  Allen !  You  Ve  had  a 
ride  out  to  the  oak  comin'  to  yuh  for  quite  a  while, 
and  before  sundown  you  '11  get  it." 

"  Oh !  Is  that  so,  Shorty  ?  Say,  you  're  breaking 
the  rules,  you  old  pirate ;  you  're  talking  to  the  prisoners 
without  permission.  As  the  Captain's  most  faithful 


THEY    CALLED    IT    JUSTICE     33 

dog  Tray,  you  'd  better  shoot  yourself ;  it  '11  save  the 
town  the  trouble  of  hanging  you  later  on !  "  He  smoked 
calmly  while  Shorty,  on  guard  without,  growled  a  vili 
fying  retort,  and  the  other  guards  snickered. 

"  Ah,  brace  up !  "  he  advised  his  quaking  companion 
again.  "  If  my  company  does  n't  damn  you  beyond  all 
hope,  you  may  get  out  of  the  scrape.  You  did  n't  have 
a  gun,  and  you  're  a  stranger  and  have  n't  said  naughty 
things  about  your  neighbors.  Cheer  up.  Life  looks 
just  as  good  to  me  as  it  does  to  you.  I  love  this  old 
world  just  as  well  as  any  man  that  ever  lived  in  it,  and 
I  'm  not  a  bit  pleased  over  leaving  it  —  any  more  than 
you  are.  But  I  can't  see  where  I  could  better  matters 
by  letting  myself  get  wobbly  in  the  knees.  I  'm  sorry 
I  did  n't  make  a  bigger  fight  to  keep  my  guns,  though. 
I  'd  like  to  have  perforated  a  few  more  of  our  most 
worthy  Committee  before  I  quit;  our  friend  Shorty, 
for  instance,"  he  stipulated  wickedly  and  clearly,  "  and 
the  Captain." 

If  he  were  deliberately  trying  to  goad  Shorty  to 
further  profanity,  the  result  should  have  satisfied  him. 
The  huge  shadow  of  Shorty  moving  back  and  forth 
upon  the  front  wall  of  the  tent,  became  violently  agi 
tated  and  developed  a  gigantic  arm  that  waved  threat 
eningly  over  the  ridge  pole.  The  other  guards  laughed 
and  checked  their  laughter  with  a  suddenness  which 


84  THE    GRINGOS 

made  Jack's  eyes  leave  the  dancing  shadow  and  seek 
questioningly  the  closed  tent  flaps. 

"  If  I  'm  any  good  at  reading  signs,  we  are  now 
about  to  be  tried  by  our  peers  —  twelve  good  men  and 
true,"  he  announced  ironically.  "  Brace  up,  old  man ! 
The  chances  are  you  '11  soon  be  out  of  this  mess  and 
headed  for  home.  Don't  be  afraid  to  tell  the  truth  — • 
and  don't  act  scared ;  they  '11  take  that  as  a  sure  sign 
you  've  got  a  guilty  conscience.  Just  keep  a  stiff  upper 
lip;  it  won't  take  long;  we  do  things  in  a  hurry,  out 
here !  " 

"  Say,  you  're  a  brick,  Mr.  Allen !  "  the  boy  burst 
out,  impulsively  gripping  the  hand  of  his  champion. 

Jack  jerked  his  hand  away  —  not  unkindly,  but 
rather  as  if  he  feared  to  drop,  even  for  an  instant,  his 
flippant  defiance  of  the  trick  fate  had  played  him. 
The  jerk  sent  a  small,  shining  thing  sliding  down  to 
the  floor;  where  it  stood  upright  and  quivered  in  the 
soft  sand. 

"  Lord !  "  he  ejaculated  under  his  breath,  snatching 
it  up  as  a  thief  would  snatch  at  his  spoils.  He  looked 
fearfully  at  the  closed  flaps,  outside  which  the  tram 
pling  of  many  feet  sounded  closer  and  closer;  and 
with  a  warning  shake  of  his  head  at  the  other,  slid 
the  dagger  into  his  sleeve  again,  carefully  fastening 
the  point  in  the  stout  hem  of  the  buckskin. 


THEY    CALLED    IT    JUSTICE     85 

"  You  never  can  tell,"  he  muttered,  smiling  queerly 
as  he  made  sure  the  weapon  was  not  noticeable. 

He  was  rolling  another  cigarette  when  the  Captain 
parted  the  tent  flaps  and  came  stooping  in,  followed  by 
twelve  men  of  the  Committee  who  were  to  be  the  jury, 
and  as  many  spectators  as  could  crowd  after  them. 

"  Gentlemen,  be  seated,"  the  Captain  invited  form 
ally,  and  motioned  the  jury  to  the  crude  bunks  that 
lined  one  side  of  the  large  tent.  Jack  and  the  boy  he 
moved  farther  from  the  entrance,  and  took  up  his  own 
position  where  his  sharp  eyes  commanded  every  inch 
of  the  interior  and  where  the  gun  which  he  drew  from 
its  holster  and  rested  upon  his  knee  could  speak  its 
deadly  rebuke  to  any  man  there  if,  in  the  upholding  of 
justice,  the  Captain  deemed  it  necessary. 

The  jury  shuffled  to  their  places,  perched  in  a  row 
upon  the  edge  of  the  bunks  and  waited  silently,  their 
eyes  fixed  expectantly  upon  their  Captain.  The  crowd 
edged  into  the  corners  and  along  the  sides,  their  hat 
crowns  scraping  the  canvas  roof  as  they  were  forced 
closer  to  the  low  wall. 

The  Captain  waited  until  the  silence  was  a  palpable 
thing  made  alive  by  the  rhythmic  breathing  of  the 
men  who  were  to  look  upon  this  new  travesty  of  justice. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  said  at  last,  his  sonorous  voice 
carrying  his  words  distinctly  to  the  crowd  without, 


36  THE    GRINGOS 

"  we  are  now  ready  to  proceed  with  the  investigation. 
I  wish  to  state,  for  the  information  of  those  present, 
that  after  the  prisoners  were  placed  here  under  guard, 
I  went  to  get  a  statement  from  the  wounded  man,  Mr. 
Texas  Bill.  I  found  him  dying  from  a  wound  inflicted 
upon  his  person  hy  a  pistol  ball  which  passed  through 
his  left  lung,  above  and  to  the  right  of  his  heart.  I 
did  not  take  a  written  statement,  for  lack  of  time  and 
writing  materials.  But  Texas  swore  —  " 

"  Yeah  —  I  '11  bet  he  swore !  "  commented  Bill  Wil 
son  under  his  breath.  Every  one  looked  toward  Bill, 
standing  just  inside  the  flaps,  and  the  Captain  scowled 
while  he  waited  for  attention. 

"  Texas  swore  that  he  was  shot  by  one  of  the  pris 
oners,  Jack  Allen  by  name,  who  fired  upon  him  with 
out  due  provocation,  while  he  was  talking  to  this  other 
prisoner,  whose  name  we  have  yet  to  learn.  Texas 
stated  that  Allen,  appearing  suddenly  from  behind 
some  bushes,  began  shooting  with  deadly  intent  and 
without  warning,  wantonly  murdering  Kawhide  Jack, 
who  lies  dead  in  Smith's  back  room,  and  shooting  him, 
Texas,  through  the  lung.  He  also  stated  that  Mr.  Dick 
Swift  was  with  him  and  Eawhide  Jack,  and  was  also 
shot  by  the  prisoner,  Jack  Allen,  without  cause  or 
provocation. 

"  They  had  met  the  stranger  and  were  standing  talk- 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     87 

ing  to  him  about  his  luck  in  the  diggings.  This  stranger, 
who  is  the  other  prisoner,  was  inclined  to  be  sassy,  and 
made  a  pass  at  Rawhide  with  his  fist,  telling  him  to 
mind  his  own  business  and  not  ask  so  many  questions. 
Rawhide  struck  back;  and  Allen,  coming  out  from  be 
hind  some  bushes,  began  shooting." 

The  Captain  stopped  and  looked  calmly  and  judicially 
from  face  to  face  in  the  crowd. 

"  That,  gentlemen,  is  the  statement  made  to  me  by 
Texas  Bill,  who  now  lies  dead  in  Pete's  Place  as  a  re 
sult  of  the  wound  inflicted  by  Allen." 

"  That 's  a  lot  of  swearing  for  a  man  to  do  that 's 
been  shot  through  the  lungs,"  commented  Bill  Wilson 
skeptically. 

The  Captain  gave  him  a  malevolent  look  and  con 
tinued.  "  We  will  ask  Mr.  Swift  to  come  forward  and 
tell  us  what  he  knows  of  this  deplorable  and,  if  I  may 
be  permitted  the  term,  disgraceful  affair." 

Mr.  Swift  edged  his  way  carefully  through  the  crowd 
with  his  left  arm  thrust  out  to  protect  the  right,  which 
was  bandaged  and  rested  in  a  blood-stained  sling.  He 
asked  permission  to  sit  down;  kicked  a  box  into  the 
small,  open  space  between  the  Captain,  the  jury,  and 
the  prisoners,  and  seated  himself  with  the  air  of  a  man 
about  to  perform  an  extremely  painful  duty. 

"  Hold  up  your  right  hand,"  commanded  the  Captain. 


38  THE    GRINGOS 

Swift  apologetically  raised  his  left  hand  and  gazed 
steadfastly  into  the  cold,  impartial  eyes  of  his  Captain. 

"  You  swear  that  you  will  tell  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth,  so-help-you-God  ?  " 

Swift,  his  purplish  eyes  wide  and  clear  and  honest 
as  the  gaze  of  a  baby,  calmly  affirmed  that  he  did. 

Jack  grinned  and  lazily  fanned  the  smoke  of  his 
cigarette  away,  so  that  he  might  the  better  gaze  upon 
this  man  who  was  about  to  tell  the  whole  truth  and 
nothing  else.  He  caught  Swift's  eye  and  added  a  sneer 
ing  lift  to  the  smile;  and  Swift's  eyes  changed  from 
bland  innocence  to  hate  triumphant. 

"  Mr.  Swift,  you  will  now  relate  to  us  the  circum 
stances  of  this  affair,  truthfully,  in  the  order  of  their 
happening,"  directed  the  deep  voice  of  the  Captain. 

Mr.  Swift  carefully  eased  his  wounded  arm  in  its 
sling,  turned  his  innocent  gaze  upon  the  crowd,  and 
began : 

"  Texas,  Rawhide,  and  myself  were  crossing  the 
sandy  stretch  south  of  town  about  noon,  when  we  met 
this  chap  —  the  stranger  there."  He  nodded  slightly  to 
ward  the  boy.  "  I  was  walking  behind  the  other  two,  but 
I  heard  Rawhide  say :  '  Hello,  son,  any  luck  in  the  dig- 
gin's  ? '  The  kid  said :  '  None  of  your  damn  business ! ' 
That  made  Rawhide  kinda  mad,  being  spoke  to  that 
way  when  he  just  meant  to  be  friendly,  and  he  told 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     39 

the  kid  he  better  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  his  head  if  he 
wanted  to  get  along  smooth  —  or  words  to  that  effect. 
I  don't,"  explained  Mr.  Swift  virtuously,  "  remember 
the  exact  words,  because  I  was  looking  at  the  fellow 
and  wondering  what  made  him  so  surly.  He  sassed 
Rawhide  again,  and  told  him  to  mind  his  own  busi 
ness  and  give  advice  when  it  was  asked  for,  and  struck 
at  him.  Rawhide  hit  back,  and  then  I  heard  a  shot, 
and  Rawhide  fell  over.  I  looked  around  quick,  and 
started  to  pull  my  gun,  but  a  bullet  hit  me  here  —  " 
Mr.  Swift  laid  gentle  finger-tips  upon  his  arm  near  the 
shoulder  —  "so  I  could  n't.  I  saw  it  was  Jack  Allen 
shooting  and  coming  towards  us  from  a  clump  of  bushes 
off  to  the  right  of  us.  He  shot  again,  and  Texas  Bill  fell. 
I  ducked  behind  a  bush  and  started  for  help,  when  I 
met  the  Captain  and  a  few  others  coming  out  to  see 
what  was  the  matter.  That,"  finished  Mr.  Swift,  "  is 
the  facts  of  the  case,  just  as  they  happened." 

The  Captain  waited  a  minute  or  two,  that  the 
"  facts "  might  sink  deep  into  the  minds  of  the 
listeners. 

"  Were  any  shots  fired  by  any  one  except  Allen  ?  " 
he  asked  coldly,  when  the  silence  was  sufficiently  em 
phasized. 

"  There  were  not.  Nobody,"  Swift  flashed  with  a 
very  human  resentment,  "  had  a  chance  after  he  com- 


40  THE    GRINGOS 

menced !  "  He  flushed  at  the  involuntary  tribute  to 
the  prowess  of  his  enemy,  when  he  saw  that  maddening 
grin  appear  again  on  Jack's  lips;  a  grin  which  called 
him  liar  and  scoundrel  and  in  the  same  flicker  defied 
him. 

The  investigation  took  on  the  color  of  a  sensation 
at  that  point,  when  the  stranger  sprang  suddenly  to  his 
feet  and  stood  glaring  at  the  witness.  There  were  no 
signs  now  of  tears  or  weakness ;  he  was  a  man  fighting 
for  what  he  believed  to  be  right  and  just. 

"  Captain,  that  man  is  a  dirty  liar !  "  he  cried  hotly. 
"  He  and  his  precious  cronies  tried  to  rob  me,  out  there. 
I  was  coming  into  town  from  across  the  bay;  I  had 
hired  a  Spaniard  to  bring  me  across  in  a  small  sail 
boat,  and  the  tide  carried  us  down  too  far,  so  I  told 
him  to  land  and  I  'd  walk  back  to  town,  rather  than 
tack  back.  And  these  men  met  me,  and  tried  to  rob 
me !  This  man,"  he  accused  excitedly,  pointing  a  rage- 
ful  finger  at  Swift,  "  was  going  to  stab  me  in  the  throat 
when  he  saw  I  resisted.  I  was  fighting  the  three,  and 
they  were  getting  the  best  of  me.  I  never  owned  a 
gun,  and  I  just  had  my  fists.  The  two  others  had 
grabbed  me,  and  this  man  Swift  pulled  a  knife.  I 
remember  one  of  them  saying :  l  Don't  shoot  —  it  '11 
bring  the  whole  town  out ! '  And  just  as  this  one 
raised  his  knife  to  drive  it  into  my  throat  —  they  were 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     41 

bending  me  backwards,  the  other  two  —  I  heard  a  shot, 
and  this  one  dropped  his  knife  and  gave  a  yell.  There 
were  two  other  shots,  and  the  two  who  were  holding 
me  dropped.  This  one  ran  off.  Then  —  "  The  boy 
turned  and  looked  down  at  Jack,  smoking  his  cigarette 
and  trying  to  read  what  lay  behind  the  stolid  stare  of 
the  twelve  men  who  sat  in  a  solemn  row  on  the  bunks 
opposite  him.  "  This  young  man  —  "  His  lips  trem 
bled,  and  he  stopped,  to  bite  them  into  a  more  manlike 
firmness. 

"  Gentlemen,  do  what  you  like  with  me,  but  you  Ve 
got  to  let  this  man  go !  He  ?s  the  coolest,  bravest  man 
I  ever  saw!  He  saved  my  life.  You  can't  hang  him 
for  protecting  a  man  from  murder  and  robbery !  " 

"  Young  man,"  interrupted  the  Captain  after  a  sur 
prised  silence,  "  we  admire  your  generosity  in  trying  to 
clear  your  fellow  prisoner,  but  you  must  let  this  jury 
try  his  case.  What 's  your  name  ?  " 

"  John  Belden,  of  Cambridge,  Massachusetts."  The 
young  fellow's  rage  faded  to  a  sullen  calm  under  the 
cold  voice. 

The  Captain  made  a  startled  movement  and  looked 
at  him  sharply.  "  And  what  was  your  hurry  to  get 
to  town  ? "  he  asked,  after  a  minute. 

"  I  wanted  to  get  a  ticket  on  the  boat,  the  Mary 
Elizabeth,  that  is  going  to  leave  for  New  York  to- 


42  THE    GRINGOS 

morrow.  I  wanted  to  go  —  home.  I  ?ve  had  enough 
of  gold-hunting !  "  Youthful  bitterness  was  in  his  tone 
and  in  the  look  he  turned  on  the  jury. 

The  Captain  cleared  his  throat.  When  he  spoke 
again,  he  addressed  the  twelve  before  him: 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  have  reasons  for  feeling 
convinced  that  this  young  man  is  in  part  telling  the 
truth.  I  am  acquainted  with  his  father,  unless  he  has 
given  a  name  he  does  not  own  —  and  his  face  is  a 
pretty  good  witness  for  him;  he  looks  like  his  dad. 
While  he  has  undoubtedly  glossed  and  warped  the  story 
of  the  shooting  in  a  mistaken  effort  to  make  things 
look  better  for  the  man  who  did  the  killing,  I  can  see 
no  sufficient  reason  for  holding  him.  This  Committee 
stands  for  justice  and  is  not  backward  about  tempering 
it  with  mercy.  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  I  recommend 
that  John  Belden  be  released  from  custody  and  per 
mitted  to  go  home.  He  was  unarmed  when  I  took  him, 
and  there  is  no  evidence  of  his  having  dealt  anything 
but  hard  words  to  the  victims  of  the  shooting.  Gentle 
men,  you  will  give  your  verdict;  after  which  we  will 
proceed  with  the  investigation." 

The  jury  looked  at  one  another  and  nodded  to  the 
man  on  the  end  of  the  first  bunk;  and  he,  shifting  a 
quid  of  tobacco  to  the  slack  of  his  right  cheek,  ex 
pectorated  gravely  into  the  sand  and  spoke  solemnly: 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     43 

"  The  verdict  of  the  jury  is  all  in  favor  of  turnin' 
the  kid  loose." 

"  John  Belden,  you  are  released.  And  we  'd  advise 
you  to  be  a  little  careful  how  you  sass  men  in  this 
country.  Also,  you  better  see  about  that  ticket  on  the 
Mary  Elizabeth.  Jack  Allen,  you  may  come  forward 
and  take  the  oath." 

"  This  box  is  just  as  comfortable  as  that  one,"  said 
Jack,  "  and  you  need  n't  worry  but  what  I  '11  tell  the 
truth !  "  He  took  a  last  pull  at  his  cigarette,  pinched 
out  the  fire,  and  ground  the  stub  under  his  heel.  He 
could  feel  the  silence  grow  tense  with  expectancy;  and 
when  he  lifted  his  eyes,  he  knew  that  every  man  in 
that  tent  was  staring  into  his  face. 

"  I  used  to  believe,"  he  began  clearly,  "  in  the  Vigil 
antes.  If  I  had  been  here  when  the  first  Committee 
was  formed,  I  'd  have  worked  for  it  myself.  I  believe 
it  cleared  the  town  of  some  of  the  worst  scoundrels  in 
the  country,  and  that 's  saying  a  good  deal.  But  —  " 

"  The  Committee,"  interrupted  the  Captain,  "  would 
like  to  hear  your  story  of  the  shooting.  Your  private 
opinions  can  wait  until  the  investigation  of  that  affair 
is  ended." 

"  You  're  right.  I  beg  your  pardon  for  forgetting 
that  it  is  not  settled  yet !  "  Jack's  voice  was  politely 
scornful.  "  Well,  then,  this  kid  told  the  truth  in  every 


44  THE    GRINGOS 

particular,  even  when  he  declared  that  Dick  Swift  is 
a  dirty  liar.  Swift  is  a  liar.  He  's  also  a  thief,  and 
he  's  also  a  murderer  —  and  a  few  other  things  not  as 
decent ! 

"  As  to  the  row,  I  was  walking  out  that  way,  when 
I  saw  this  kid  coming  up  from  the  bay  toward  the 
town.  The  three,  Swift,  Rawhide  Jack,  and  Texas 
Bill,  met  him  where  the  —  er  —  trouble  took  place.  I 
was  too  far  off  to  hear  .what  was  said;  in  fact,  I  did  n't 
pay  any  attention  much,  till  I  saw  the  kid  struggling 
to  get  away.  I  walked  towards  them  then.  It  was 
easy  enough  to  see  that  it  was  a  hold-up,  pure  and 
simple.  I  was  about  fifty  yards  from  them  when  I 
saw  Swift,  here,  raise  a  knife  to  jab  it  into  the  boy's 
throat.  Texas  and  Rawhide  were  both  holding  the 
kid's  arms  and  bending  him  backwards  so  he  could  n't 
do  anything.  When  I  saw  the  knife,  I  began  to  shoot." 
His  eyes  sought  those  of  Bill  Wilson,  standing  in  the 
crowd  near  the  door.  "  That 's  the  truth  of  the  whole 
matter,"  he  said,  speaking  directly  to  Bill.  "  I  did  n't 
try  to  make  trouble ;  but  I  could  n't  stand  by  and  see 
a  man  murdered,  no  more  than  any  decent  man  could." 
He  paused ;  and  still  looking  toward  Bill,  added :  "  I 
did  n't  even  notice  particularly  who  the  men  were, 
until  I  went  up  to  the  boy.  It  all  happened  so  sudden 
that  I  —  " 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     45 

The  Captain  cleared  his  throat.  "  You  admit,  then, 
that  you  killed  Rawhide  Jack  and  Texas  Bill  this 
morning  ? " 

"  I  surely  do,"  retorted  Jack.  "  And  if  you  want 
to  know,  I  'm  kinda  proud  of  it ;  it  was  a  long  shot  — 
to  clean  the  town  of  two  such  blackguards.  And  right 
here  I  want  to  apologize  to  the  town  for  making  a 
bungle  of  killing  Swift !  " 

"  We  have  two  witnesses  who  also  swear  that  you 
killed  Tex'  and  Rawhide,  though  they  give  a  very  dif 
ferent  version  of  the  trouble  with  the  boy.  Would 
you  ask  us  to  believe  that  Texas  Bill  lied  with  his  last 
breath?" 

"  If  he  told  the  story  you  say  he  did,  he  certainly 
lied  most  sinfully  with  his  last  breath ;  but  I  'd  hate 
to  take  your  word  for  anything,  so  I  don't  know 
whether  he  lied  or  not." 

"  Mr.  Swift,  here,  tells  the  same  story  that  Texas 
Bill  told."  The  Captain  chose  to  ignore  the  insults. 
"  I  think  their  testimony  should  carry  more  weight 
with  the  Committee  than  yours,  or  the  boy's.  You  are 
trying  to  save  your  neck;  and  the  boy  probably  feels 
that  he  owes  you  some  gratitude  for  taking  his  part. 
But  the  Committee's  business  is  to  weed  out  the  dan 
gerous  element  which  is  altogether  too  large  in  this 
town ;  and  the  Committee  feels  that  you  are  one  of  the 


46  THE    GRINGOS 

most  dangerous.  However,  we  will  call  another  wit 
ness.  Shorty,  you  may  come  forward." 

Shorty  came  scowling  up  and  sat  down  upon  the 
box  Swift  had  occupied.  He  took  the  oath  and  after 
wards  declared  that  he  had  overheard  Jack  coaching  the 
boy  about  what  he  should  tell  the  Committee.  The 
Captain,  having  brought  out  that  point,  promptly  ex 
cused  him. 

"  Gentlemen  of  the  jury,  you  have  heard  the  evi 
dence,  and  your  duty  is  plain.  We  are  waiting  for  the 
verdict." 

The  man  with  the  cud  looked  a  question  at  the  Cap 
tain;  turned  and  glanced  down  the  row  at  the  eleven, 
who  nodded  their  heads  in  unanimous  approval  of  his 
thoughts.  He  once  more  shifted  the  wad  of  tobacco, 
as  a  preliminary  to  expectorating  gravely  into  the  sand 
floor,  and  pronounced  his  sentence  with  a  promptness 
that  savored  of  relish: 

"  The  verdict  of  the  jury  is  that  we  hang  Jack  Allen 
for  killin'  Texas  and  Rawhide,  and  for  bein'  a  mean, 
ornery  cuss,  anyway." 

The  Captain  turned  coldly  to  the  prisoner.  "  You 
hear  the  verdict.  The  Committee  believes  it  to  be 
just." 

He  looked  at  the  group  near  the  door.  "  Mr.  Wil 
son,"  he  called  maliciously,  "  you  will  now  be  given 


THEY    CALLED    IT   JUSTICE     47 

an  opportunity  to  collect  from  the  prisoner  what  he 
owes  you." 

"  Jack  Allen  don't  owe  me  a  cent !  "  cried  Bill  Wil 
son  hotly,  shouldering  his  way  to  the  open  space  be 
fore  the  Captain.  "  But  there  's  a  heavy  debt  hang 
ing  over  this  damned  Committee  —  a  debt  they  '11  have 
to  pay  themselves  one  day  at  the  end  of  a  rope,  if 
there  's  as  many  honest  men  in  this  town  as  I  think 
there  is. 

"  I  helped  form  the  first  Vigilance  Committee,  boys. 
We  did  it  to  protect  the  town  from  just  such  men  as 
are  running  the  Committee  right  now.  When  crimes 
like  this  can  be  done  right  before  our  eyes,  in  broad 
daylight,  I  say  it 's  time  another  Committee  was 
formed,  to  hang  this  one !  Here  they  Ve  got  a  man 
that  they  know,  and  we  all  know,  ain't  done  a  thing 
but  what  any  brave,  honest  man  would  do.  They  Ve 
gone  through  a  farce  trial  that  'd  make  the  Digger  In 
juns  ashamed  of  themselves ;  and  they  've  condemned 
Jack  Allen,  that 's  got  more  real  manhood  in  his  little 
finger  than  there  is  in  the  dirty,  lying  carcasses  of  the 
whole  damned  outfit  —  they  Ve  condemned  him  to  be 
hung! 

"  And  why !  I  can  tell  yuh  why  —  and  it  ain't  for 
killing  Texas  and  Kawhide  —  two  as  measly,  ornery 
cusses  as  there  was  in  town  —  it  ain't  for  that.  It 's 


48  THE    GRINGOS 

for  daring  to  say,  last  night  in  my  place,  that  the 
Committee  is  rotten  to  the  core,  and  that  they  murdered 
Sandy  McTavish  in  cold  blood  when  they  took  him  out 
and  hung  him  for  killing  that  greaser  in  self-defense. 
It 's  for  speaking  his  mind,  the  mind  of  an  honest 
man,  that  they  're  going  to  hang  him.  That  is,  they  '11 
hang  him  if  you  '11  stand  by  and  let  'em  do  it.  I  be 
lieve  both  these  boys  told  a  straight  story.  I  believe 
them  three  was  trying  to  pull  off  a  daylight  robbery, 
and  Jack  shot  to  save  the  kid. 

"  Now,  men,  see  here !  I  for  one  have  stood  about 
all  I'm  going  to  stand  from  this  bunch  of  cutthroats 
that  've  taken  the  place  of  the  Committee  we  organized 
to  protect  the  town.  To-night  I  want  every  man  that 
calls  himself  honest  to  come  to  my  place  and  hold  a 
mass  meeting,  to  elect  a  Committee  like  we  had  in 
the  first  place.  I  want  every  man  —  " 

"  Bill,  you  're  crazy !  "  It  was  Jack,  white  to  the 
lips  in  sheer  terror  for  Wilson,  Jack  who  refused  to 
blench  at  his  own  dire  strait,  who  sprang  up  and 
clapped  a  hand  over  the  mouth  that  was  sealing  the 
doom  of  the  owner.  "  Take  him  out,  Jim,  for  God's 
sake !  Take  him  —  Bill,  listen  to  me,  you  fool !  What 
was  it  you  were  telling  me,  there  in  your  own  doorway, 
to-day  ?  About  not  thinking  out  loud  ?  You  can't  save 
me  by  talking  like  that !  These  men  —  those  that  don't 


THEY    CALLED    IT    JUSTICE     49 

hate  me  —  are  so  scared  of  their  own  necks  that  they 
would  n't  lift  a  finger  to  save  a  twin  brother.  Take 
him  out,  boys !  Bill  does  n't  mean  any  harm."  He 
tried  to  smile  and  failed  utterly.  "  He  likes  me,  and 
he  's  —  he  's  —  " 

Shorty  it  was  who  jerked  him  away  from  Bill.  The 
Captain,  on  his  feet,  was  dominating  the  uneasy  crowd 
with  his  cold  stare  more  than  with  the  gun  he  held  in 
his  hand. 

"  This  Committee,"  he  stated  in  his  calm,  judicial 
tone,  which  chilled  the  growing  fire  of  excitement  and 
held  the  men  silent  that  they  might  listen,  "  this  Com 
mittee  regrets  that  in  the  course  of  its  unpleasant  dutiea 
it  must  now  and  then  rouse  the  antagonism  of  a  bad 
man's  friends.  But  this  Committee  must  perform  the 
duties  for  which  it  was  elected.  This  Committee  is 
sorry  to  see  Mr.  Wilson  take  the  stand  he  takes,  but 
it  realizes  that  friendship  for  the  condemned  man  leads 
him  to  make  statements  and  threats  for  which  he  should 
not  be  held  responsible.  Gentlemen,  this  court  of  in 
quiry  is  dismissed,  and  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  point 
out  the  necessity  for  order  being  maintained  among 
you.  The  Committee  would  deeply  regret  any  trouble 
arising  at  this  time." 

"  Oh,  damn  you  and  your  Committee !  "  gritted  Bill 
Wilson,  out  of  the  bitterness  that  filled  him.  He  gave 


50  THE    GRINGOS 

Jack  one  glance;  one,  and  with  his  jaws  set  hard  to 
gether,  turned  his  back. 

The  crowd  pushed  and  parted  to  make  way  for  him. 
Jim,  his  face  the  color  of  a  pork  rind,  followed  dog- 
like  at  the  heels  of  his  boss.  And  when  they  had  passed, 
the  tent  began  to  belch  forth  men  who  walked  with 
heads  and  shoulders  a  little  bent,  talking  together  under 
their  breaths  of  this  man  who  dared  defy  the  Committee 
to  its  face,  and  whose  daring  was  as  impotent  as  the 
breeze  that  still  pulled  at  the  flapping  corner  of  the 
cloth  sign  over  the  door  of  his  place. 

Bill  glanced  dully  up  at  the  sign  before  he  opened 
his  door.  "  Better  get  the  hammer  and  nail  that  cor 
ner  down,  Jim,"  he  said  morosely,  and  went  in.  He 
poured  a  whisky  glass  two-thirds  full  of  liquor  and 
emptied  it  with  one  long  swallow  —  and  Bill  was  not 
a  drinking  man. 

"  God !  This  thing  they  call  justice !  "  he  groaned, 
as  he  set  down  the  glass;  and  went  out  to  make  an  at 
tempt  at  organizing  a  rescue  party,  though  he  had  little 
hope  of  succeeding.  Jack  was  a  stranger  to  the  better 
class  of  business  men,  and  those  who  did  know  him 
were  either  friends  of  the  Committee  or  in  deadly  fear 
of  it.  Still,  Bill  was  a  gambler.  He  was  probably 
putting  the  mark  of  the  next  victim  on  himself;  but 
he  did  not  stop  for  that. 


CHAPTER  IV 

WHAT    HAPPENED    AT    THE    OAK 

JACK  sat  looking  after  the  crowd  that  shuffled 
through  the  doorway  into  the  sunlight.  He 
thought  he  had  believed  that  he  would  receive  the 
sentence  which  the  juryman  had  spoken  so  baldly;  yet, 
after  the  words  had  been  actually  spoken,  he  stared 
blankly  after  Bill  and  the  others,  and  incredulously 
at  the  Captain,  who  seated  himself  upon  a  bunk  op 
posite  to  watch  his  prisoner,  his  pistol  resting  sug 
gestively  upon  his  knee.  The  boy  lingered  to  shake 
Jack's  unresponsive  hand  and  mutter  a  broken  sen 
tence  or  two  of  gratitude  and  sympathy.  But  Jack 
scarcely  grasped  his  meaning,  and  his  answer  sounded 
chillingly  calm;  so  that  the  boy,  wincing  under  the 
cold  stare  of  the  Captain  and  the  seeming  indifference 
of  the  prisoner,  turned  away  with  downy  chin  a-tremble 
and  in  his  eyes  the  look  of  horrified  awe  which  some 
times  comes  to  a  youth  who  has  seen  death  hesitate 
just  over  his  head,  pass  him  by,  and  choose  another. 
In  the  doorway  he  stopped  and  looked  back  be- 


52  THE    GRINGOS 

wildered.  Jack  had  said  that  he  loved  life  and  would 
hate  to  leave  it;  and  yet  he  sat  there  calmly,  scraping 
idly  with  his  boot-toe  a  little  furrow  in  the  loose  sand, 
his  elbows  resting  on  his  knees,  his  face  unlined  by 
frown  or  bitterness,  his  eyes  bent  abstractedly  upon  the 
shallow  trench  he  was  desultorily  digging.  He  did 
not  look  as  the  boy  believed  a  man  should  look  who 
has  just  been  condemned  to  die  the  ignominious  death 
of  hanging.  The  boy  shuddered  and  went  out  into  the 
sunlight,  dazed  with  this  glimpse  he  had  got  of  the 
inexorable  hardness  of  life. 

Jack  did  not  even  know  when  the  boy  left.  He, 
also,  was  looking  upon  the  hardness  of  life,  but  he  was 
looking  with  the  eyes  of  the  fighter.  So  long  as  Jack 
Allen  had  breath  in  his  body,  he  would  fight  to  keep 
it  there.  His  incredulity  against  the  verdict  swung 
to  a  tenacious  disbelief  that  it  would  really  come  to  the 
worst.  So  long  as  he  was  alive,  so  long  as  he  could 
feel  the  weight  of  the  dagger  in  his  sleeve,  it  was  tem 
peramentally  impossible  for  him  to  believe  that  he  was 
going  to  die  that  day. 

Plans  he  made  and  smoothed  them  in  the  dirt  with 
his  toe.  If  they  did  not  bind  his  arms  .  .  .  They  had 
not  tied  Sandy's  arms,  he  remembered;  and  he  won 
dered  if  a  dagger  concealed  in  Sandy's  sleeve  would 
have  made  any  essential  difference  in  the  result  of  that 


AT    THE   OAK  58 

particular  crime  of  the  Committee.  He  sickened  at  a 
vivid  memory  of  how  Sandy  had  ridden  away,  just  a 
week  or  so  before;  and  of  the  appealing  glance  which 
he  had  sent  toward  Bill's  place  when  Shorty  started  to 
lead  the  buckskin  from  before  the  prison  tent  with  six 
men  walking  upon  either  side  and  a  curious  crowd 
straggling  after.  Would  a  dagger  in  Sandy's  sleeve 
have  made  any  difference  ? 

Then  his  thoughts  swung  to  the  Mexican  who  had 
told  him  of  the  trick,  only  the  night  before.  It  had 
amused  Jack  to  experiment  with  his  own  knife;  and 
the  very  novelty  of  the  thing  had  impelled  him  to  slip 
his  dagger  into  the  new  hiding-place  that  morning 
when  he  dressed.  The  Captain  had  not  discovered  it 
there  —  but  would  it  make  any  difference?  It  oc 
curred  to  him  that  he  need  not  die  the  death  of 
dangling  and  strangling  at  the  end  of  the  rope,  at  any 
rate;  if  it  came  to  dying  .  .  .  Jack  became  acutely 
conscious  of  the  steady  beat  in  his  chest,  and  imme 
diately  afterward  felt  the  same  throb  in  his  throat; 
he  could  stop  that  beating  whenever  he  chose,  if  they 
did  not  bind  his  arms. 

"  Horse  's  ready,  Captain,"  announced  Shorty  suc 
cinctly,  thrusting  his  head  through  the  closed  flaps ;  and 
the  Captain  rose  instantly  and  made  a  commanding 
gesture  to  his  prisoner. 


54  THE    GRINGOS 

Jack  swept  the  loose  dirt  back  into  the  furrow  with 
one  swing  of  his  foot  and  stood  up.  He  went  out 
quietly,  two  steps  in  advance  of  the  Captain  and  the 
Captain's  drawn  pistol,  and  advanced  unflinchingly 
towards  the  horse  that  stood  saddled  in  the  midst  of 
the  group  of  executioners,  with  the  same  curious  crowd 
looking  on  greedily  at  the  spectacle. 

"  Ever  been  on  a  horse  ? "  asked  the  Captain,  his 
deep  voice  little  more  than  a  growl. 

"  Once  or  twice,"  Jack  answered  indifferently. 

"Climb  on,  then!" 

Jack  was  young  and  he  was  very  human.  It  might 
be  his  last  hour  on  earth,  but  there  rose  up  in  him  a 
prideful  desire  to  show  them  whether  he  had  ever  been 
on  a  horse;  he  caught  the  saddle-horn  with  one  hand 
and  vaulted  vaingloriously  into  the  saddle  without 
touching  a  toe  to  the  stirrup.  The  buckskin  ducked 
and  danced  sidewise  at  the  end  of  the  rope  in  Shorty's 
hand,  and  more  than  one  gun  flashed  into  sight  at  the 
unexpectedness  of  the  move. 

The  Captain  scowled  at  the  exclamations  of  admira 
tion  from  the  crowd.  "  You  need  n't  try  any  funny 
work,  young  man,  or  I  '11  tie  you  hand  as  well  as  foot !  " 
he  threatened  sternly.  "  Give  me  that  rope,  Davis." 

Then  Jack  paid  in  pain  for  his  vanity,  and  paid  in 
full.  The  Captain  did  not  bind  his  arms  —  perhaps 


AT    THE   OAK  55 

because  of  the  crowd  and  a  desire  to  seem  merciful. 
But  though  he  merely  tied  the  prisoner's  ankle  after 
the  usual  manner,  he  knotted  the  small  rope  with  a 
vicious  yank,  pulled  it  as  tight  as  he  could  and  passed 
the  rope  under  the  flinching  belly  of  the  buckskin  to 
Davis,  on  the  other  side.  Also  he  sent  a  glance  of 
meaning  which  the  other  read  unerringly  and  obeyed 
most  willingly.  Davis  drew  the  rope  taut  under  the 
cinch  and  tied  Jack's  other  ankle  as  if  he  were  putting 
the  diamond  hitch  on  a  pack  mule.  The  two  stepped 
back  and  eyed  him  sharply  for  some  sign  of  pain,  when 
all  was  done. 

"Thanks,"  drawled  Jack.  "Sorry  I  can't  do  as 
much  for  you."  Whereupon  he  set  his  teeth  against 
the  growing  agony  of  strained  muscles  and  congesting 
arteries,  and  began  to  roll  a  cigarette  with  fingers  which 
he  held  rigidly  from  trembling. 

Bill  Wilson,  returning  gloomily  to  the  doorway  of 
his  place,  grated  an  oath  and  turned  away  his  head. 
Some  day,  he  promised  himself  vengefully,  those  two 
—  yes,  and  the  whole  group  of  murderers  moving 
briskly  away  from  the  tent  —  would  pay  for  that  out 
rage;  and  he  prayed  that  the  day  might  come  soon. 

He  went  heavily  into  the  big  room  where  men  were 
already  foregathering  to  gossip  between  drinks  of  the 
trial  and  of  the  man  who  was  to  die.  Bill  bethought 


56  THE    GRINGOS 

him  of  the  young  stranger;  made  some  inquiries  of 
certain  inoffensive  individuals  among  the  crowd,  and 
sent  Jim  out  with  instructions  to  find  the  kid  and  bring 
him  back  with  him. 

Bill  was  standing  in  the  door  waiting  for  Jim  to 
return,  when,  in  a  swirl  of  dust,  came  Dade  galloping 
around  a  corner  and  to  the  very  doorstep  before  he 
showed  any  desire  to  slow  up.  At  the  first  tightening 
of  the  reins,  the  white  horse  stiffened  his  front  legs, 
dug  two  foot-long  furrows  and  stopped  still.  Bill  had 
no  enthusiasm  for  the  perfect  accomplishment  of  the 
trick.  He  stood  with  his  hands  thrust  deep  into  his 
pockets  and  regarded  the  rider  glumly. 

"  Well,  you  got  here,"  he  grunted,  with  the  brevity 
of  utter  misery. 

"  You  bet  I  did !  I  was  away  from  the  hacienda  when 
the  peon  came,  or  I  Jd  have  got  here  sooner,"  Dade  ex 
plained  cheerfully,  swinging  to  the  ground  with  a  jin 
gle  of  his  big,  Mexican  spurs  that  had  little  silver  bells 
to  swell  the  tinkly  chimes  when  he  moved.  "  Where  7s 
Jack?" 

Big  Bill  Wilson's  jaw  trembled  with  an  impulse  to 
wards  tears  which  the  long,  harsh  years  behind  him 
would  not  let  him  shed.  "  They  've  got  him,"  he  said 
in  a  choked  tone,  and  waved  a  hand  toward  the  west. 

"  Who  ?s  got  him  ?  "    Dade  clanked  a  step  closer  and 


AT    THE   OAK  57 

peered  sharply  into  Bill's  face,  with  all  the  easy  good 
humor  wiped  out  of  his  own. 

"  The  Committee.  You  're  too  late ;  they  're  taking 
him  out  to  the  oak.  Been  gone  about  ten  minutes. 
They  had  it  in  for  him,  and  —  I  could  n't  do  a  thing ! 
The  men  in  this  town  —  "  Epithets  rushed  incoher 
ently  from  Bill's  lips,  just  as  violent  weeping  marks 
the  reaction  from  a  woman's  first  silence  in  the  face  of 
tragedy. 

Dade  did  not  hear  a  word  he  was  saying,  after  those 
first  jerky  sentences.  He  stood  looking  past  Bill  at 
a  drunken  Irishman  who  was  making  erratic  progress 
up  the  street;  and  he  was  no  more  conscious  of  the 
Irishman  than  he  was  of  Bill's  scorching  condemna 
tion  of  the  town  which  could  permit  such  outrages. 

"  Watch  Surry  a  minute !  "  he  said  abruptly,  and 
hurried  into  the  gambling  hall.  In  a  minute  he  was 
back  again  and  lifting  foot  to  the  stirrup. 

"  How  long  did  you  say  they  've  been  gone  ?  "  he 
asked,  without  looking  at  Bill. 

"  Ten  or  fifteen  minutes.  Say,  you  can't  do  any 
thing!" 

Dade  was  already  half-way  up  the  block,  a  swirl  of 
sand-dust  marking  his  flight.  Bill  stared  after  him 
distressfully. 

"  He  '11  go  and  get  his  light  put  out  —  and  he  won't 


58  THE    GRINGOS 

help  Jack  a  damn  bit,"  he  told  himself  miserably,  and 
went  in.  Life  that  day  looked  very  hard  to  big-hearted 
Bill  Wilson,  and  scarcely  worth  the  trouble  of  living  it. 

It  broke  the  heart  of  Dade  Hunter  to  see  how  near 
the  sinister  procession  was  to  the  live  oak  that  had 
come  to  be  looked  upon  as  the  gallows  of  the  Vigilance 
Committee;  a  gallows  whose  broad  branches  sheltered 
from  rain  and  sun  alike  the  unmarked  graves  of  the 
men  who  had  come  there  shuddering  and  looked  upon 
it,  and  shuddering  had  looked  no  more  upon  anything 
in  this  world. 

Until  he  was  near  enough  to  risk  betraying  his  haste 
by  the  hoof-beats  of  his  horse,  Dade  kept  Surry  at  a 
run.  Upon  the  crest  of  the  slope  which  the  procession 
was  leisurely  descending,  he  slowed  to  a  lope;  and  so 
overtook  the  crowd  that  straggled  always  out  to  the 
hangings,  came  they  ever  so  frequent.  Reeling  in  the 
saddle,  he  came  up  with  the  stragglers,  singing  and 
marking  time  with  a  half-empty  bottle  of  whisky. 

The  few  who  knew  him  looked  at  one  another 
askance. 

"  Say,  Hunter,  ain't  yuh  got  any  feelin's  ?  That 
there  's  your  pardner  on  the  hoss,"  one  loose-jointed 
miner  expostulated. 

"Sure,  I  got  feelin's!  Have  a  d-drink?"  Dade 
leered  drunkenly  at  the  speaker.  "  Jack  's  —  no  good 


AT    THE   OAK  59 

anyway.  ToP  ?im  he  'd  get  hung  if  he  —  have  a 
d-drink?" 

The  loose-jointed  one  would,  and  so  would  his 
neighbors.  The  Captain  glanced  back  at  them,  gave 
a  contemptuous  lift  to  his  upper  lip  and  faced  again 
to  the  front. 

Bade  uncoiled  his  riata  with  aimless,  fumbling 
fingers  and  swung  the  noose  facetiously  toward  the 
bottle,  uptilted  over  the  eager  mouth  of  a  weazened 
little  Irishman.  He  caught  bottle  and  hand  together, 
let  them  go  with  a  quick  flip  of  the  rawhide  and  wag 
gled  his  head  in  apology. 

"  Excuse  me,  Mike,"  he  mumbled,  while  the  Irish 
man  stopped  and  glared.  "  Go  awn !  Have  a  drink. 
Mighta  spilled  it  —  shame !  " 

Jack  looked  back,  his  heart  thumping  heavily  at 
sound  of  the  voice,  thick  though  it  was  and  maudlin. 
Bade  drunk  and  full  of  coarse  foolery  was  a  sight  he 
had  never  before  looked  upon;  but  Dade's  presence, 
drunk  or  sober,  made  his  own  plight  seem  a  shade  less 
hopeless.  He  did  not  dare  a  second  glance,  with  Davis 
and  the  Captain  walking  at  either  stirrup;  but  he 
listened  anxiously  —  listened  and  caught  a  drunken 
mumble  from  the  rear,  and  a  chorus  of  chuckling  laughs 
coming  after. 

He  looked  ahead.     The  great  oak  was  close,  so  close 


60  THE    GRINGOS 

that  he  might  have  counted  the  narrow  little  ridges 
of  red  soil  beneath;  the  ridges  which  he  knew  were 
the  graves  of  those  who  had  died  before  him.  The 
great  bough  that  reached  out  over  the  spot  where  the 
earth  was  trampled  smooth  in  horrible  significance  — 
the  branch  from  which  a  noosed  rope  dangled  sinuously 
in  the  breeze  that  came  straight  off  the  ocean  —  swayed 
with  majestic  deliberation  as  if  Fate  herself  were 
beckoning. 

He  clasped  his  hands  upon  the  saddle-horn  and, 
stealthily  loosening  the  dagger-point  from  the  hem  of 
his  sleeve,  slid  the  weapon  cautiously  into  his  hand. 
When  he  felt  the  handle  against  his  palm,  he  knew 
that  he  had  been  holding  his  breath,  and  that  the  sigh 
he  gave  was  an  involuntary  relief  that  the  others  had 
not  glimpsed  the  blade  under  his  clasped  fingers.  He 
would  not  have  to  dangle  from  that  swinging  rope,  at 
any  rate. 

"  Hello,  pard !  "  Dade's  voice  called  thickly  from 
close  behind.  "  Looking  for  some  rope  ?  " 

Jack  turned  his  head  just  as  the  looped  rawhide 
slithered  past  him  and  settled  taut  over  the  head  of  the 
startled  buckskin.  Like  a  lightning  gleam  slashing 
through  the  dark  he  saw  Dade's  plan,  and  played  his 
own  part  unhesitatingly. 

Two  movements  he  made  while  the  buckskin  sat  back 


He  twisted  in  the  saddle  and  sent  leaden  answer  to  the 
spiteful  barking  of  the  guns.     Page  61. 


AT    THE   OAK  61 

upon  his  naunches  and  gathered  his  muscles  for  a  for 
ward  spring.  The  first  was  to  lean  and  send  a  down 
ward  sweep  of  the  dagger  across  the  rope  by  which 
Shorty  was  leading  the  horse,  and  the  second  was  a 
backward  lunge  that  drove  the  knife  deep  into  the  bared 
throat  of  the  Captain,  stunned  into  momentary  inaction 
by  the  suddenness  of  Dade's  assault. 

The  buckskin  gave  a  mighty  leap  that  caught  Shorty 
unawares  and  sent  him  into  a  crumpled  heap  in  the 
sand.  Dade's  riata,  tight  as  a  fiddle-string  at  first, 
slackened  as  the  buckskin,  his  breath  coming  in  snorts, 
surged  alongside.  Jack  leaned  again  —  this  time  to 
snatch  the  ivory-handled  revolver  from  the  holster  on 
Dade's  saddle.  As  well  as  he  could  with  his  legs  held 
rigid  by  the  rope  that  tied  his  ankles,  he  twisted  in 
the  saddle  and  sent  leaden  answer  to  the  spiteful  bark 
ing  of  the  guns  that  called  upon  them  to  halt. 

Davis  he  shot,  and  saw  him  sway  and  fall  flat,  with 
a  smoking  gun  in  his  hand.  Another  crumpled  for 
ward  ;  and  Shorty,  just  getting  painfully  upon  his  feet, 
he  sent  into  the  sand  again  to  stay;  for  his  skill  with 
small  arms  was  something  uncanny  to  witness,  and 
his  temper  was  up  and  turning  him  into  a  savage  like 
the  rest. 

But  the  range  was  rapidly  growing  to  rifle-length, 
and  death  fell  short  of  his  enemies  after  Shorty  went 


62  THE    GRINGOS 

down.  When  he  saw  his  fourth  bullet  kick  up  a  harm 
less  little  geyser  of  sand  two  rods  in  advance  of  the 
agitated  crowd,  he  left  off  and  turned  to  his  friend. 

"  I  thought  you  were  drunk,"  he  observed  inanely, 
as  is  common  to  men  who  have  just  come  through  sit 
uations  for  which  no  words  have  been  coined. 

"  You  ain't  the  only  one  who  made  that  mistake," 
Bade  retorted  grimly,  and  looked  back.  "  Good  thing 
those  hombres  are  afoot.  We  '11  get  on  a  little  farther 
and  then  we  '11  fix  a  hackamore  so  you  can  do  your  own 
riding." 

"  I  can't  stand  it  to  ride  any  farther  —  " 

"  Are  you  shot  ?  "  Dade  pulled  in  a  little  and  looked 
anxiously  into  his  face. 

"  It 's  the  rope.  They  tied  it  so  tigfet  it 's  torture. 
I  'd  never  have  believed  it  could  hurt  so  —  but  they 
gave  me  an  extra  twist  or  two  to  show  their  friendship, 
I  reckon." 

Dade  rode  on  beyond  a  little,  wooded  knoll  before 
he  stopped,  lest  the  crowd,  seeing  them  halt,  might 
think  it  worth  while  to  follow  them  afoot. 

"  They  surely  did  n't  intend  you  to  fall  off,"  he  said 
whimsically,  when  his  knife  released  the  strain.  But 
his  lips  tightened  at  the  outrage;  and  his  eyes,  bent 
upon  Jack's  left  ankle,  wore  the  look  of  one  who  could 
kill  without  pity. 


AT    THE   OAK  63 

"  They  '11  never  do  it  to  another  man/'  declared 
Jack,  with  vindictive  relish.  "  It  was  Davis  and  the 
Captain;  I  killed  'em  both."  He  rolled  stiffly  from  the 
saddle,  found  his  feet  like  dead  things  and  stumbled 
to  a  little  hillock,  where  he  sat  down. 

Dade,  kneeling  awkwardly  in  his  heavy,  bearskin 
chaparejos,  picked  at  the  bonds  with  the  point  of  his 
knife.  "  Lucky  you  had  on  boots,"  he  remarked. 
"  Even  as  it  is,  you  're  likely  to  carry  creases  for  a 
while.  How  the  deuce  did  you  manage  to  get  into  this 
particular  scrape  ?  —  if  I  might  ask !  " 

"  I  did  n't  get  into  it.  This  particular  scrape  got 
me.  Say,  it's  lucky  you  happened  along  just  when 
you  did." 

To  this  very  obvious  statement  the  other  made  no 
reply.  He  cut  the  last  strand  of  the  rope  that  bound 
Jack's  ankles  so  mercilessly,  and  stood  up.  "  You  bet 
ter  take  off  your  boots  and  rub  some  feeling  into  your 
feet  while  I  make  a  hackamore  for  that  horse.  The 
sooner  we  get  out  of  this,  the  better.  What 's  left  of 
the  Committee  will  probably  be  pretty  anxious  to  see 
you." 

"  Oh,  damn  the  Committee !  —  as  Bill  remarked 
after  the  trial."  Jack  made  an  attempt  to  remove  one 
of  his  boots,  found  the  pain  intolerable  and  desisted 
with  a  groan.  "  I  wish  they  would  show  up,"  he  de- 


64  THE    GRINGOS 

clared.  "  I  'd  like  to  give  them  a  taste  of  this  foot- 
tying  business !  " 

Dade  went  on  tying  the  hackamore  with  a  haste  that 
might  be  called  anxious.  With  just  two  bullets  left  in 
the  pistol  and  with  no  powder  upon  his  person  for 
further  reloading,  he  could  not  share  Jack's  eagerness 
to  meet  the  Committee  again.  When  Surry  gave  over 
rolling  with  his  tongue  the  little  wheel  in  his  bit,  and 
with  lifted  head  and  eyes  alert  perked  his  ears  forward 
towards  the  hill  they  had  just  crossed,  he  slipped  the 
hackamore  hurriedly  into  place  and  turned  to  his 
friend. 

"  You  climb  on  to  Surry,  and  we  '11  pull  out,"  he 
said  shortly.  "  I  would  n't  give  two  pesos  for  this  buck 
skin,  but  we  're  going  to  add  horse-stealing  to  our  other 
crimes ;  and  while  it  Js  all  right  to  damn  the  Com 
mittee,  it  7s  just  as  well  to  do  it  at  a  distance,  just 
now,  old  man." 

The  caution  fell  flat,  for  Jack  was  wholly  absorbed 
by  the  pain  in  his  feet  and  ankles,  as  the  blood  was 
being  forced  into  the  congested  veins.  Dade  led  the 
white  horse  close,  to  save  him  the  discomfort  of  hobbling 
to  it,  and  waited  until  Jack  was  in  the  saddle  before 
he  vaulted  upon  the  tricky-eyed  buckskin.  He  led  the 
way  down  into  a  shallow  depression  which  wound  aim 
lessly  towards  the  ocean;  and  later,  when  trees  and 


AT    THE   OAK  65 

bushes  and  precipitous  bluffs  threatened  to  bar  their 
way,  he  swung  abruptly  to  the  east  and  south. 

"  Maybe  you  won't  object  so  hard  to  Palo  Alto  now," 
he  bantered  at  last,  when  at  dusk  he  ventured  out  upon 
"  El  Camino  Eeal  "  (which  is  pure  Spanish  for  "  The 
King's  Highway"),  that  had  linked  Mission  to  Mis 
sion  all  down  the  fertile  length  of  California  when 
the  land  was  wilderness.  "  Solitude  ought  to  feel  good, 
after  to-day."  When  he  got  no  answer,  Dade  looked 
around  at  the  other. 

Jack's  face  showed  vaguely  through  the  night  fog 
creeping  in  from  the  clamorous  ocean  off  to  the  west. 
His  legs  were  hanging  free  of  the  stirrups,  and  his 
hands  rested  upon  the  high  saddle-horn. 

"  Say,  Dade,"  he  asked  irrelevantly  and  with  a 
mystifying  earnestness,  "  which  do  you  think  would 
kill  a  man  quickest  —  a  slash  across  the  throat,  or  a  stab 
in  the  heart  ?  " 

"  I  would  n't  call  either  one  healthy.     Why  ?  " 

"  I  was  just  wondering,"  Jack  returned  ambiguously. 
"  If  you  had  n't  happened  along  —  say,  how  did  you 
happen  to  come?  Was  that  another  sample  of  my 
fool's  luck  ?  "  Since  the  coincidence  had  not  struck 
him  before,  one  might  guess  that  he  was  accustomed 
to  having  Dade  at  his  elbow  when  he  was  most  needed. 

"  Bill  Wilson  sent  word  that  you  were  making  seven 


66  THE    GRINGOS 

kinds  of  a  fool  of  yourself  —  Bill  named  a  few  of 
them  —  and  advised  me  to  get  you  out  of  town.  I  've 
more  respect  for  Bill's  judgment  than  ever.  I  took 
his  advice  as  it  stood  —  and  therefore,  you  're  headed 
for  safer  territory  than  you  were  awhile  ago.  It 
ain't  heaven/'  he  added,  "  but  it  Js  next  thing  to  it." 

"  I  'm  not  hankering  after  heaven,  right  now," 
averred  Jack.  "  Most  any  other  place  looks  good  to  me ; 
I  'm  not  feeling  a  bit  critical,  Dade.  And  if  I  did  n't 
say  it  before,  old  man,  you  're  worth  a  whole  regiment 
to  a  fellow  in  a  fix." 


CHAPTER  V 

HOSPITALITY 

IF  you  would  enjoy  that  fine  hospitality  which  gives 
gladly  to  strangers  and  to  friends  alike  of  its  pov 
erty  or  plenty,  and  for  the  giving  asks  nothing  in  re 
turn,  you  should  seek  the  far  frontiers;  but  if  you 
would  see  hospitality  glorified  into  something  more 
than  a  simple  virtue,  then  you  should  find,  if  you  can, 
one  of  the  old-time  haciendas  that  were  the  pride  of 
early  California. 

Time  was  when  the  wild-eyed  cattle  which  bore 
upon  their  fat-cushioned  haunches  the  seared  crescent 
that  proclaimed  them  the  property  of  old  Don  Andres 
Picardo  (who  owned,  by  grant  of  the  king,  all  the 
upper  half  of  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara)  were  free  to 
any  who  hungered.  Time  was  when  a  traveler  might 
shoot  a  fat  yearling  and  feast  his  fill,  unquestioned  by 
the  don  or  the  don's  dark-eyed  vaqueros. 

Don  Andres  Picardo  was  a  large-hearted  gentleman ; 
and  to  deny  any  man  meat  would  bring  to  his  cheeks 
a  blush  for  his  niggardliness.  That  was  in  the  begin 
ning,  when  he  reigned  in  peace  over  the  peninsula. 


68  THE    GRINGOS 

When  the  vaqueros,  jingling  indignantly  into  the 
patio  of  his  home,  first  told  of  carcasses  slaughtered 
wantonly  and  left  to  rot  upon  the  range  with  only  the 
loin  and  perhaps  a  juicy  haunch  missing,  their  master 
smiled  deprecatingly  and  waved  them  back  whence 
they  came.  There  were  cattle  in  plenty.  What  mat 
tered  one  steer,  or  even  a  fat  cow,  slain  wastefully? 
Were  not  thousands  left? 

But  when  tales  reached  him  of  cattle  butchered 
by  the  hundred,  and  of  beef  that  was  being  sold  for 
an  atrocious  price  in  San  Francisco,  the  old  Spaniard 
was  shocked  into  laying  aside  the  traditions  and  plac 
ing  some  check  upon  the  unmannerly  "  gringos  "  who 
so  abused  his  generosity. 

He  established  a  camp  just  within  the  northern 
boundary  of  his  land;  and  there  he  stationed  his  most 
efficient  watch-dog,  Manuel  Sepulveda,  with  two 
vaqueros  whose  business  it  was  to  stop  the  depredations. 

Meat  for  all  who  asked  for  meat,  paid  they  in  gold 
or  in  gratitude  —  that  was  their  "  patron's  "  order.  But 
they  must  ask.  And  the  vaqueros  rode  diligently  from 
bay  to  mountain  slopes,  and  each  day  their  hatred  of 
the  Americanos  grew  deeper,  as  they  watched  over  the 
herds  of  their  loved  patron,  that  the  gringos  might 
not  steal  that  which  they  might,  if  they  were  not 
wolves,  have  for  the  asking. 


HOSPITALITY  69 

The  firelight  in  the  tule-thatched  hut  of  Manuel 
Sepulveda  winked  facetiously  at  the  black  fog  that 
peered  in  at  the  open  door.  A  night  wind  from  the 
north  crept  up,  parted  the  fog  like  a  black  curtain  and 
whispered  something  which  set  the  flames  a-dancing 
as  they  listened.  The  fog  swung  back  jealously  to  hear 
what  it  was,  and  the  wind  went  away  to  whisper  its 
wonder-tale  to  the  trees  that  rustled  astonishment  and 
nodded  afterward  to  one  another  in  approval,  like  the 
arrant  gossips  they  were.  The  chill  curtain  fell  straight 
and  heavy  again  before  the  door,  so  that  the  firelight 
shone  dimly  through  its  folds;  but  not  before  Dade, 
riding  at  random  save  for  the  trust  he  put  in  the  sure 
homing  instinct  of  his  horse,  caught  the  brief  gleam 
of  light  and  sighed  thankfully. 

"  We  '11  stop  with  old  Manuel  to-night,"  he  an 
nounced  cheerfully.  "Here's  his  cabin,  just  ahead." 

"  And  who  's  old  Manuel  ?  "  asked  Jack  petulantly, 
because  of  the  pain  in  his  feet  and  his  own  unpleasant 
memories  of  that  day. 

"  Don  Andres  Picardo's  head  vaquero.  He  camps 
here  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  cattle.  Some  fellows  from 
town  have  been  butchering  them  right  and  left  and 
doing  a  big  business  in  beef,  according  to  all  accounts. 
Manuel  hates  gringos  like  centipedes,  but  I  happened 
to  get  on  the  good  side  of  him  —  partly  because  my 


70  THE   GRINGOS 

Spanish  is  as  good  as  his  own.  An  Americano  who 
has  black  hair  and  can  talk  Spanish  like  the  don  him 
self  isn't  an  Americano,  in  Manuel's  eyes." 

While  they  were  unsaddling  under  the  oak  tree, 
where  the  vaqueros  kept  their  riding  gear  in  front  of 
the  cabin,  Manuel  himself  came  to  the  door  and  stood 
squinting  into  the  fog,  while  he  flapped  a  tortilla 
dexterously  between  his  brown  palms. 

"  Is  it  you,  Valencia  ? "  he  called  out  in  Spanish, 
giving  the  tortilla  a  deft,  whirling  motion  to  even  its 
edges. 

Dade  led  the  way  into  the  zone  of  light,  and  Manuel 
stepped  back  with  a  series  of  welcoming  nods.  His 
black  eyes  darted  curiously  to  the  stranger,  who,  in 
Manuel's  opinion,  looked  unpleasantly  like  a  gringo, 
with  his  coppery  hair  waving  crisply  under  his  som 
brero,  and  his  eyes  that  were  blue  as  the  bay  over  there 
to  the  east.  But  when  Dade  introduced  him,  Jack 
greeted  his  squat  host  with  a  smile  that  was  disarming 
in  its  boyish  good  humor,  and  with  language  as  liquidly 
Spanish  as  Manuel's  best  Castilian,  which  he  reserved 
for  his  talks  with  the  patron  on  the  porch  when  the 
senora  and  the  young  senorita  were  by. 

The  distrust  left  Manuel's  eyes  as  he  trotted  across 
the  hard-trodden  dirt  floor  and  laid  the  tortilla  care 
fully  upon  a  hot  rock,  where  three  others  crisped  and 


HOSPITALITY  71 

curled  their  edges  in  delectable  promise  of  future  tooth- 
someness. 

He  stood  up  and  turned  to  Dade  amiably,  his 
knuckles  pressing  lightly  upon  his  hips  that  his  palms 
might  be  saved  immaculate  for  the  next  little  corn 
cake  which  he  would  presently  slap  into  thin  symmetry. 

"  Madre  de  Dios !  "  he  cried  suddenly,  quite  forget 
ting  the  hospitable  thing  he  had  meant  to  say  about 
his  supper.  "  You  are  hurt,  Senor !  The  blood  is  on 
your  sleeve  and  your  hand." 

Dade  looked  down  at  his  hand  and  laughed.  "  I 
did  get  a  scratch.  I  '11  let  you  see  what  it  's  like." 

"  You  never  told  me  you  got  shot !  "  accused  Jack 
sharply,  from  where  he  had  thrown  himself  down  on 
a  bundle  of  blankets  covered  over  with  a  bullock  hide 
dressed  soft  as  chamois. 

"  Never  thought  of  it,"  retorted  Dade  in  Spanish, 
out  of  regard  for  his  host. 

"  We  had  some  trouble  with  the  gringos,"  he  ex 
plained  to  Manuel.  "  There  was  a  little  shooting,  and 
a  bullet  grazed  my  arm.  It  does  n't  amount  to  much, 
but  I  '11  let  you  look  at  it." 

"  Ah,  the  gringos !  "  Manuel  spat  after  the  hated 
name.  "  The  patron  is  too  good,  too  generous !  They 
steal  the  cattle  of  the  patron,  though  they  might  have 
all  they  need  for  the  asking.  Like  the  green  worms 


72  THE    GRINGOS 

upon  the  live  oaks,  they  would  strip  the  patron's  herds 
to  the  last,  lean  old  bull  that  is  too  tough  even  for  their 
wolf  teeth!  Me,  I  should  like  to  lasso  and  drag  to 
the  death  every  gringo  who  comes  sneaking  in  the  night 
for  the  meat  which  tastes  sweeter  when  it  is  stolen. 
To-day  Valencia  rode  down  to  the  bayou  —  " 

While  he  told  indignantly  the  tale  of  the  latest  pil 
lage,  he  bared  the  wounded  arm.  Jack  got  stiffly  upon 
his  swollen  feet  to  look.  It  was  not  a  serious  wound, 
as  wounds  go ;  a  deep  gash  in  the  bicep,  where  a  bullet 
meant  for  Dade's  heart  had  plowed  under  his  upraised 
arm  four  inches  wide  of  its  mark.  It  must  have  been 
painful,  though  he  had  not  once  mentioned  it;  and  a 
shamed  flush  stung  Jack's  cheeks  when  he  remembered 
his  own  complaints  because  of  his  feet. 

"  You  never  told  me !  "  he  accused  again,  this  time 
in  the  language  of  his  host. 

"  The  Senor  Hunter  has  the  brave  heart  of  a  Span 
iard,  though  his  blood  is  light,"  said  Manuel  rebuk- 
ingly.  "  The  Senor  Hunter  would  not  cry  over  a  big 
ger  hurt  than  this !  " 

Jack  sat  down  again  upon  the  bull-hide  seat  and 
dropped  his  face  between  his  palms.  Old  Manuel  spoke 
truer  than  he  knew.  Dade  Hunter  was  made  of  the 
stuff  that  will  suffer  much  for  a  friend  and  say  nothing 
about  it,  and  to-day  was  not  the  first  time  when  Jack 


HOSPITALITY  78 

had  all  unwittingly  given  that  friendship  the  test  su 
preme. 

Manuel  carefully  inspected  the  wound  and  mur 
mured  his  sympathy.  He  pulled  a  bouquet  of  dry 
herbs  from  where  it  hung  in  a  corner,  under  the  low 
ceiling,  and  set  a  handful  brewing  in  water,  where  the 
coals  were  golden-yellow  with  heat.  He  tore  a  strip 
of  linen  off  Valencia's  best  shirt  which  he  was  saving 
for  fiestas,  and  prepared  a  bandage,  interrupting  him 
self  now  and  then  to  dart  over  and  inspect  the  tor 
tillas  baking  on  the  hot  rock.  For  a  fat  man  he  moved 
with  extraordinary  briskness,  and  so  managed  to  do 
three  things  at  one  time  and  do  them  all  thoroughly; 
he  washed  and  dressed  the  wound  with  the  herbs 
squeezed  into  a  poultice,  rescued  the  tortillas  from 
scorching,  and  spake  his  mind  concerning  the  gringos 
who,  he  declared,  were  despoiling  this  his  native  land. 
Then  he  lifted  certain  pots  and  platters  to  the  center  of 
the  hut  and  cheerfully  announced  supper ;  and  squatted 
on  the  floor,  facing  his  guests  over  the  food. 

"  There  7s  another  thing  that  bothers  me,  Manuel," 
Dade  announced  humorously,  when  they  three  were 
seated  around  the  pot  of  frijoles,  the  earthen  pan  of 
smoking  carne-seco  (which  is  meat  flavored  hotly  after 
the  Spanish  style)  and  a  stack  of  the  tortillas  Manuel's 
fat  hands  had  created  while  he  talked. 


74  THE    GRINGOS 

Manuel,  bending  a  tortilla  into  a  scoop  wherewith 
to  help  himself  to  the  brown  beans,  raised  his  black 
eyes  anxiously.  "  But  is  there  further  hurt  ?  "  he 
asked,  and  glanced  wistfully  at  the  tortilla  before  lay 
ing  it  down  that  he  might  minister  further  to  the 
senor. 

"  ~No  —  go  on  with  your  supper.  There  's  a  buck 
skin  horse  out  there  that  the  gringos  may  say  I  stole. 
I  don't  want  the  beast ;  he  ?s  about  fourteen  years  old 
and  he  7s  got  a  Roman  nose  to  beat  Ca3sar  himself,  and 
a  bad  eye  and  a  wicked  heart." 

"  Dios !  "  murmured  Manuel  over  the  list  of  equine 
shortcomings  and  took  a  large,  relieved  bite  of  tortilla 
and  beans.  The  senor  was  pleased  to  jest  with  a  poor 
vaquero,  but  the  sefior  would  doubtless  explain.  He 
chewed  luxuriously  and  waited,  his  black  eyes  darting 
from  this  face  which  he  knew  and  liked,  to  that  strange 
one  of  the  blue  eyes  and  the  hair  that  was  like  the 
dullest  of  dull  California  gold. 

"  I  don't  like  that  caballo,"  went  on  Dade,  helping 
himself  to  meat,  "  and  so  I  'd  hate  like  the  deuce  to 
be  hung  for  stealing  him ;  sabe  ? " 

Manuel  licked  a  finger  before  he  spread  his  hands 
to  show  how  completely  he  failed  to  understand.  "  But 
if  the  caballo  does  not  please  the  senor,  why  then  did 
the  senor  steal  —  " 


HOSPITALITY  75 

"  You  see,  I  wanted  to  bring  my  partner  —  Seiior 
Jack  Allen  —  down  here  with  me.  And  he  was  riding 
the  caballo,  and  he  could  n't  get  off  —  " 

Manuel  swore  a  Spanish  oath  politely,  to  please  his 
guest  who  wished  to  amaze  him. 

"  Because  he  was  tied  on."  Bade  failed  just  there 
to  keep  a  betraying  hardness  out  of  his  voice.  "  The 
Viligantes  were  —  going  to  —  hang  him."  The  last 
two  words  were  cut  short  off  with  the  click  of  his  jaws 
coming  together. 

Manuel  thereupon  swore  more  sincerely  and  spilled 
beans  from  his  tortilla  scoop.  He  knew  the  ways  of 
the  Committee.  Four  months  ago  —  when  the  Com 
mittee  was  newer  and  more  just  —  they  had  hanged 
the  third  cousin  of  his  half-sister's  husband.  It  is  true, 
the  man  had  killed  a  woman  with  a  knife ;  yet  Manuel's 
black  beard  bristled  when  he  thought  of  the  affront  to 
his  hypothetical  kinship. 

"  I  had  to  take  the  two  together,"  Dade  explained, 
trying  with  better  success  to  speak  lightly.  "  And  now, 
if  I  turn  the  buckskin  loose,  he  may  go  back  —  and  he 
may  not.  I  was  wondering  —  " 

Manuel  cut  him  short.  "  To-morrow  I  ride  to  town," 
he  said.  "  I  will  take  the  caballo  back  with  me,  if  that 
pleases  the  sefiors.  I  will  turn  him  loose  near  the 
Mission,  and  he  will  go  to  his  stable. 


76  THE    GRINGOS 

"  The  seiior,"  he  added,  "  was  very  brave.  Madre 
de  Dios!  To  run  away  with  a  prisoner  of  the  Vigi 
lantes!  But  they  will  surely  kill  the  seiior  for  that; 
the  taking  of  the  horse,  that  is  nothing."  His  teeth 
shone  briefly  under  his  black  mustache.  "  One  can 
die  but  once,"  he  pointed  out,  and  emphasized  his 
meaning  by  a  swift  glance  at  Jack,  moodily  nibbling 
the  edge  of  a  corn  cake.  "  But  if  the  horse  does  not 
please  the  senor  —  " 

Dade  caught  his  meaning  and  laughed  a  little  over 
it.  "  The  horse,"  he  said,  "  belongs  to  the  Committee ; 
my  friend  does  not." 

"  Si,  Seiior  —  but  surely  that  is  true.  Only  —  " 
he  stroked  his  crisp  beard  thoughtfully  —  "  the  senors 
would  better  go  to-morrow  to  the  patron.  There  the 
gringos  dare  not  come.  In  this  poor  hut  the  senors 
may  not  be  safe  —  for  we  are  but  three  poor  vaqueros 
when  all  are  here.  We  will  do  our  best  —  " 

"  Three  vaqueros,"  declared  Dade  with  fine  diplo 
macy,  "  as  brave  as  the  three  who  live  here,  would 
equal  twenty  of  the  Committee.  But  we  will  not  let 
it  come  to  that." 

Manuel  took  the  flattery  with  a  glimpse  of  white 
teeth  and  a  deprecatory  wave  of  the  hand,  and  himself 
qualified  it  modestly  afterward. 

"  With  the  knife  —  perhaps.     But  the  gringos  have 


HOSPITALITY  77 

guns  which  speak  fast.  Still,  we  would  do  our 
best  —  " 

"  Say,  if  he  's  going  back  to  town  to-morrow,"  spake 
Jack  suddenly,  from  where  he  reclined  in  the  shadow, 
"  why  can't  I  write  a  note  to  Bill  Wilson  and  have  him 
send  down  my  guns?  The  Captain  took  them  away, 
you  know;  but  he  won't  object  to  giving  them  back 
now !  "  His  voice  was  bitter. 

"  The  rest  of  them  might.  You  seem  to  think  that 
when  you  killed  Perkins  you  wiped  out  the  whole  dele 
gation  —  which  you  did  n't.  What  was  the  row  about ; 
if  you  don't  mind  telling  me  ? " 

"  I  thought  you  knew,"  said  Jack  quite  sincerely, 
which  proved  more  than  anything  how  absorbed  he  was 
in  his  own  part  in  the  affair.  He  shifted  his  head 
upon  his  clasped  hands  so  that  his  eyes  might  rest  upon 
the  waning  firelight,  where  the  pot  of  frijoles,  set  back 
from  supper,  was  still  steaming  languidly  in  the  hot 
ashes. 

"  You  started  it  yourself,  two  weeks  ago,"  he  an 
nounced  whimsically,  to  lighten  a  little  the  somber 
tale.  "  If  you  had  n't  bought  that  white  horse  from 
that  drunken  Spaniard,  I  'd  be  holding  a  handful  of 
aces  and  kings  to-night,  most  likely,  in  Bill  Wilson's 
place.  And  my  legs  would  n't  be  aching  like  the 
devil,"  he  added,  reminded  anew  of  his  troubles,  when 


78  THE    GRINGOS 

he  shifted  his  position.  "  It 's  all  your  fault.  You 
bought  the  horse." 

Dade  grinned  and  bent  to  hold  a  twig  in  the  coals, 
that  he  might  light  a  cigarette.  "  All  right,  I  ?m  the 
guilty  party.  Let  's  have  the  consequences  of  my  evil 
deed,"  he  advised,  settling  back  on  his  heels  and  lower 
ing  an  eyelid  at  Manuel  in  behalf  of  this  humorous 
partner  of  his. 

"  You  bought  the  horse  and  broke  the  Spaniard's 
heart  and  ruined  his  temper.  And  he  and  Sandy  had 
a  fight,  and —  So,"  he  went  on,  after  a  two-minute 
break  in  the  argument,  "  when  I  heard  Swift  sneering 
something  about  Sandy,  last  night,  I  rose  up  in  meet 
ing  and  told  him  and  some  others  what  I  thought  of  'em. 
I  was  not,"  he  explained,  "  thinking  nice  thoughts  at 
the  time.  You  see,  Perkins,  since  he  got  the  lead,  has 
gathered  a  mighty  scaly  bunch  around  him,  and  they  've 
been  running  things  to  suit  themselves. 

"  Then,  Swift  and  two  or  three  others  held  up  a 
boy  from  the  mines  to-day,  and  I  happened  to  see  it. 
I  interfered ;  fact  is,  I  killed  a  couple  of  them.  So  they 
arrested  both  of  us,  went  through  a  farce  trial,  and  were 
trying  to  hurry  me  into  Kingdom  Come  before  Bill 
Wilson  got  a  rescue  party  together,  when  you  come 
along.  That 's  all.  They  let  the  kid  go  —  which  was 
a  good  thing.  I  don't  think  they  '11  be  down  here  after 


HOSPITALITY  79 

me.  In  fact,  I  Ve  been  thinking  maybe  I  'd  go  back, 
in  a  day  or  so,  and  have  it  out  with  them." 

"  Yes,  that 's  about  what  you  'd  be  thinking,  all 
right,"  retorted  Dade  unemotionally.  "  Sounds  per 
fectly  natural."  The  tone  of  him,  being  unsympathetic, 
precipitated  an  argument  which  flung  crisp  English 
sentences  back  and  forth  across  the  cabin.  Manuel, 
when  the  words  grew  strange  and  took  on  a  harsh  tang 
which  to  his  ear  meant  anger,  diplomatically  sought  his 
blankets  and  merged  into  the  shadow  of  the  corner 
farthest  from  the  fire  and  nearest  the  door.  The 
senors  were  pleased  to  disagree;  if  they  fought,  he  had 
but  to  dodge  out  into  the  night  and  neutrality.  The 
duties  of  hospitality  weighed  hard  upon  Manuel  during 
that  half-hour  or  so. 

Dade's  cigarette  stub,  flung  violently  into  the  heart 
of  the  fire  glow,  seemed  to  Manuel  a  crucial  point  in 
the  quarrel ;  he  slipped  back  the  blankets,  ready  to 
retreat  at  the  first  lunge  of  open  warfare.  He  breathed 
relief,  however,  when  Dade  got  up  and  stretched  his 
arms  to  the  dried  tules  overhead,  and  laughed  a  lazy 
surrender  of  the  argument,  if  not  of  his  opinion  upon 
the  subject. 

"  You  're  surely  the  most  ambitious  trouble-hunter 
I  ever  saw,"  he  said,  returning  to  his  habitual  humorous 
drawl,  with  the  twinkle  in  his  eyes  that  went  with  it. 


80  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Just  the  same,  we  '11  not  go  back  to  the  mine  just  yet. 
Till  the  dust  settles,  we  're  both  better  off  down  here 
with  Don  Andres  Picardo.  I  don't  want  to  be  hung  for 
the  company  I  keep.  Besides  —  " 

"  I  '11  bet  ten  ounces  there  's  a  senorita,"  hazarded 
Jack  maliciously.  "  You  're  like  Bill  Wilson ;  but  you 
can  preach  caution  till  your  jaws  ache;  you  can't  fool 
me  into  believing  you  're  afraid  to  go  back  to  the  mine. 
Is  there  a  senorita  ?  " 

"  You  shut  up  and  go  to  sleep,"  snapped  Bade,  and 
afterward  would  not  speak  at  all. 

Manuel,  in  the  shadow,  frowned  over  the  only  words 
he  understood  —  Don  Andres  Picardo  and  senorita. 
The  senors  were  agreeable  companions,  and  they  were 
his  guests.  But  they  were  gringos,  after  all.  And  if 
they  should  presume  to  lift  desireful  eyes  to  the  little 
Senorita  Teresa  —  Teresita,  they  called  '  (her  fondly 
who  knew  her  —  Manuel's  mustache  lifted  suddenly 
at  one  side  at  the  bare  possibility. 


CHAPTEK  VI 

THE  VALLEY 

IN"  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara,  which  lies  cradled 
easily  between  mountains  and  smiles  up  at  the  sun 
nearly  the  whole  year  through,  Spring  has  a  winter 
home,  wherein  she  dwells  contentedly  while  the  north 
ern  land  is  locked  in  the  chill  embrace  of  the  Snow 
King.  In  February,  unless  the  north  wind  sweeps 
down  jealously  and  stays  her  hand,  she  flings  a  golden 
brocade  of  poppies  over  the  green  hillsides  and  the 
lower  slopes  which  the  forest  has  left  her.  Time  was 
when  she  spread  a  deep-piled  carpet  of  mustard  over 
the  floor  of  the  valley  as  well,  and  watched  smiling 
while  it  grew  thicker  and  higher  and  the  lemon-yellow 
blossoms  vied  with  the  orange  of  the  poppies,  until 
the  two  set  all  the  valley  aglow. 

Now  it  was  March,  and  the  hillsides  were  ablaze 
with  the  poppies,  and  the  valley  floor  was  soft  green 
and  yellow  to  the  knees ;  with  the  great  live  oaks  stand 
ing  grouped  in  stately  calm,  like  a  herd  of  gigantic, 
green  elephants  scattered  over  their  feeding-ground  and 


82  THE    GRINGOS 

finding  the  peace  of  repletion  with  the  coming  of  the 
sun. 

The  cabin  of  Manuel  squatted  upon  a  little  rise  of 
ground  at  the  head  of  the  valley.  When  Jack  stood 
in  the  doorway  and  looked  down  upon  the  green  sweep 
of  grazing  ground  with  the  hills  behind,  and  farther 
away  another  range  facing  him,  he  owned  to  himself 
that  it  was  good  to  be  there.  The  squalidness  of  the 
town  he  had  left  so  tumultuously  struck  upon  his  mem 
ory  nauseatingly. 

Spring  was  here  in  the  valley,  even  though  the 
mountains  shone  white  beyond.  A  wind  had  come  out 
of  the  south  and  driven  the  fog  back  to  the  bay,  and 
the  sun  shone  warmly  down  upon  the  land.  Two  robins 
sang  exultantly  in  the  higher  branches  of  the  oak,  where 
they  had  breakfasted  satisfyingly  upon  the  first  of  the 
little,  green  wrorms  that  gave  early  promise  of  being 
a  pest  until  such  time  as  they  stiffened  and  clung  in 
ertly,  waiting  for  the  dainty,  gray  wings  to  grow  and 
set  them  aflutter  over  the  tree  upon  which  they  had 
fed.  One  of  them  dropped  upon  Jack's  arm  while  he 
stood  there  and  crawled  aimlessly  from  the  barren 
buckskin  to  his  wrist.  He  flung  it  off  mechanically. 
Spring  was  here  of  a  truth ;  in  the  town  he  had  not 
noticed  her  coming. 

"  You  ?re  right,  Dade,"  he  declared  suddenly,  over 


THE    VALLEY  83 

his  shoulder.  "  This  beats  getting  up  at  noon  and  going 
through  the  motions  of  living  for  twelve  or  fourteen 
hours  in  town.  I  believe  I  '11  have  Manuel  get  me  a 
riding  outfit,  if  he  will.  Maybe  I  '11  take  you  up  on 
that  rodeo  proposition.  Reckon  your  old  don  will  give 
me  a  job  ?  " 

"  Won't  cost  a  peso  to  find  out,"  said  Dade,  coming 
out  and  standing  beside  him  in  the  sun.  "  I  've  been 
talking  to  Manuel,  and  he  thinks  we  'd  better  pull  out 
right  away.  Valencia's  got  an  extra  saddle  here,  and 
Manuel  says  he  '11  catch  a  horse  for  you." 

"  I  believe  I  '11  send  a  letter  to  Bill,"  proposed  Jack. 
"  He  '11  give  Manuel  enough  dust  to  buy  what  I  need ; 
and  I  ought  to  let  him  know  how  we  made  out,  any 
way." 

A  blank  leaf  from  the  little  memorandum  book  he 
always  carried,  and  a  bullet  for  pencil  —  perforce,  the 
note  was  brief ;  but  it  told  what  he  wanted :  gold  to  buy 
a  riding  outfit,  his  pistols  which  Perkins  had  taken 
from  him,  and  news  of  Bill's  well-being.  When  the 
paper  would  hold  no  more  and  hold  it  legibly,  he  folded 
it  carefully  so  that  it  would  not  smudge,  and  gave  it 
to  his  host. 

"  What  if  the  Committee  catches  you  with  that  buck 
skin,  Manuel  ?  "  he  asked  abruptly.  The  risk  Manuel 
would  run  had  not  before  occurred  to  him.  "  Dade, 


84  THE    GRINGOS 

he  9a  liable  to  get  into  trouble,  if  they  catch  him  with 
that  horse ;  let  7s  turn  the  darned  thing  loose." 

"  Me,  I  shall  not  ride  where  the  gringos  will  see 
me,"  broke  in  Manuel  briskly.  "  The  senors  need  not 
be  alarmed.  I  shall  keep  away  from  El  Camino  Real. 
At  the  Mission  I  will  buy  what  the  senor  desires,  and 
I  will  bring  it  to  him  at  the  hacienda." 

"  Get  the  best  they  've  got,"  Jack  adjured  him.  "  An 
outfit  better  than  Dade's,  if  you  can  find  one.  Bill 
Wilson  has  got  about  twelve  hundred  dollars  of  mine; 
get  the  best  if  it  cleans  the  sack."  He  grinned  at  Dade. 
"  If  you  Jre  going  to  bully  me  into  turning  vaquero 
again,  1 7m  going  to  have  the  fun  of  riding  in  style, 
anyway.  You  've  set  the  pace,  you  know.  I  never 
saw  you  so  gaudy.  Er  —  what  did  you  say  her  name 
is?" 

"I  didn't  say." 

"  Must  be  serious.  Too  bad."  Jack  shook  his  head 
dolefully.  "  Say,  Manuel,  do  you  know  a  good  riata, 
when  you  see  one  lying  around  loose  ?  " 

"  Si,  Senor.  Me,  I  have  braided  the  riatas  and 
bridles  since  I  was  so  high."  From  the  height  of  his 
measuring  hand  from  the  beaten  clay  beneath  the  oak, 
he  proclaimed  himself  an  infant  prodigy;  but  Jack 
did  not  happen  to  be  looking  at  him  and  so  remained 
unamazed. 


THE    VALLEY  85 

"  Well,  you  ought  to  know  something  about  them. 
Get  the  best  riata  you  can  find.  I  leave  it  to  your 
judgment." 

"  Si,  Seiior.  To-morrow  I  will  bring  them  to  you." 
He  hesitated,  his  eyes  dwelling  curiously  upon  the  cop 
pery  hair  of  this  stranger,  whose  presence  he  was  not 
quite  sure  that  he  did  not  resent  vaguely.  Dade  he 
had  come  to  accept  as  a  man  whose  innate  kindliness, 
which  was  as  much  a  part  of  him  as  the  blood  in  his 
veins,  wiped  out  any  stain  of  alien  birth ;  but  this  blue- 
eyed  one  —  "  The  senor  himself  is  perhaps  a  judge 
of  riatas  ?  "  he  insinuated,  politely  veiling  the  quick 
jealousy  of  his  nature. 

"  We-el-1  —  you  bring  me  one  ready  to  fall  all  to 
pieces,  and  I  reckon  I  could  tell  it  was  poor,  after  it 
had  stranded." 

Dade  laughed.  "  Judge  of  riatas  ?  You  wait  till 
you  see  him  with  one  in  his  hand !  " 

Manuel's  teeth  shone  briefly,  but  the  smile  did  not 
come  from  his  heart.  "  Me,  I  shall  surely  bring  the 
senor  a  riata  worthy  even  of  his  skill,"  he  declared 
sententiously,  as  he  walked  away  with  his  bridle  slung 
over  his  arm  and  his  back  very  straight. 

"  That  sounded  sarcastic,"  commented  Jack,  looking 
after  him.  "  What 'a  the  matter  ?  Is  the  old  fellow 
jealous  ? " 


86  THE    GRINGOS 

Dade  flicked  his  cigarette  against  the  trunk -of  the 
oak  to  remove  the  white  crown  of  ashes,  and  shook  his 
head.  "What  of?"  he  asked  bluntly.  "  Half  your 
trouble,  Jack,  comes  from  looking  for  it.  Manuel's 
a  fine  old  fellow.  I  stayed  a  few  days  with  him  here 
when  I  first  left  town,  and  rode  around  with  him. 
He  's  straight  as  the  road  to  heaven,  and  I  never  heard 
him  brag  about  anything,  except  the  goodness  of  his 
*  patron/  and  the  things  some  of  his  friends  can  do. 
I  '11  have  to  ask  you  to  saddle  up  for  me,  Jack ;  this 
arm  of  mine 's  pretty  stiff  and  sore  this  morning. 
Watch  how  Surry's  trained!  You  wouldn't  believe 
some  of  the  things  he  '11  do." 

He  turned  towards  the  horse,  feeding  knee-deep  in 
grass  and  young  mustard  in  the  opening  farther  down 
the  slope,  and  whistled  a  long,  high  note.  The  white 
head  went  up  with  a  fling  of  the  heavy  mane,  to  perk 
ears  forward  at  the  sound.  Then  he  turned  and  came 
towards  them  at  a  long,  swinging  walk  that  was  a  joy 
to  behold. 

"  Do  you  know,  I  hate  the  way  nature  's  trimmed 
down  the  life  of  a  horse  to  a  few  measly  years,"  said 
Dade.  "  A  good  horse  you  can  love  like  a  human  — 
and  fifteen  years  is  about  as  long  as  he  can  expect  to 
live  and  amount  to  anything.  Surry  's  four  now,  by 
his  teeth.  In  fifteen  years  I  '11  still  be  at  my  best ;  I  '11 


THE   VALLEY  87 

want  that  horse  like  the  very  devil ;  and  he  '11  be  dead 
of  old  age,  if  he,  lasts  that  long.  And  a  turtle,"  he 
added  resentfully  after  a  pause,  "  lives  hundreds  of 
years,  just  because  the  darned  things  are  n't  any  good 
on  earth !  " 

"  Trade  him  for  a  camel,"  drawled  Jack  unsym- 
pathetically.  "  They  're  more  durable." 

"  Watch  him  come,  now !  "  Dade  gave  three  short, 
shrill  whistles,  and  with  a  toss  of  head  by  way  of  an 
swer,  Surry  came  tearing  up  the  slope,  straight  for  his 
master.  The  shadow  of  the  oak  was  all  about  him  when 
he  planted  his  front  feet  stiffly  and  stopped;  flared  his 
nostrils  in  a  snort  and,  because  Dade  waved  his  hand 
to  the  right,  wheeled  that  way,  circled  the  oak  at  a 
pace  which  set  his  body  aslant  and  stopped  again  quite 
as  suddenly  as  before.  Dade  held  out  his  hand,  and 
Surry  came  up  and  rubbed  the  palm  playfully  with  his 
soft  muzzle. 

"  For  a  camel,  did  you  say  ?  "  Dade  grinned  tri 
umphantly  at  the  other  over  the  sleek  back  of  his  pet. 

"What '11  you  take  for  him?" 

Dade  pulled  the  heavy  forelock  straight  with  fingers 
that  caressed  with  every  touch.  "  Jose  Pacheco  asked 
me  that,  and  I  came  pretty  near  hitting  him.  I  don't 
reckon  I  '11  ever  be  drunk  enough  to  name  a  price.  But 
I  might  —  " 


88  THE    GRINGOS 

Jack  glanced  at  him,  and  saw  that  his  lips  were 
half  parted  in  a  smile  born  of  some  fancy  of  his  own, 
and  that  his  eyes  were  seeing  dreams.  Jack  stared  for 
a  full  minute  before  Dade's  thoughts  jerked  back  to 
his  surroundings.  Dade  was  not  a  dreamer;  or  if  he 
were,  Jack  had  never  had  occasion  to  suspect  him  of  it, 
and  he  wondered  a  little  what  it  was  that  had  sent  Dade 
into  dreams  at  that  hour  of  the  morning.  But  Manuel 
was  returning,  riding  one  pony  and  leading  another; 
so  Jack  threw  away  his  cigarette  stub  and  picked  up 
the  saddle  blanket. 

Manuel  came  up  and  saddled  his  mount  silently,  his 
deft  fingers  working  mechanically  while  his  black  eyes 
stole  sidelong  looks  at  Jack  saddling  Svrry,  as  if  he 
would  measure  the  man  anew.  While  lie  was  anathe 
matizing  the  buckskin  in  language  for  which  he  would 
need  to  do  a  penance  later  on,  if  he  confessed  the  blas 
phemy  to  the  padre,  Jack  threw  Valencia's  saddle  upon 
the  little  sorrel  pony  Manuel  had  led  up  for  him  to 
ride. 

"  Truly  one  would  not  like  to  die  for  having  stolen 
such  a  beast,"  stated  Manuel  earnestly,  knotting  a 
macarte  around  the  neck  of  the  buckskin.  "  He  is  only 
fit  to  carry  men  to  hangings.  Come,  accursed  one! 
The  Vigilantes  are  weeping  for  one  so  like  themselves. 
Adios,  Seiiors !  " 


THE   VALLEY  89 

He  rode  away,  still  heaping  opprobrium  upon  the 
reluctant  buckskin,  and  speedily  he  disappeared  behind 
a  clump  of  willows  clothed  in  the  pale  green  of  new 
leaves. 

Bade  dropped  the  bullock  hide  which  served  for  a 
door,  to  signify  that  the  master  of  the  house  was  absent. 
Though  the  old  don's  cattle  might  be  butchered  under 
his  very  nose,  Manuel's  few  belongings  would  not  be 
molested,  though  only  the  dingy  brown  hide  of  a  bull 
long  since  gone  the  way  of  all  flesh  barred  the  way;  a 
week,  one  month  or  six  the  hut  would  stand  inviolate 
from  despoliation;  for  such  was  the  unwritten  law 
of  a  land  where  life  was  held  cheaper  than  the  things 
necessary  to  preserve  life. 

On  such  a  morning,  when  the  air  was  like  summer 
and  all  the  birds  were  rehearsing  most  industriously 
their  parts  in  the  opening  chorus  with  which  Spring 
meant  to  celebrate  her  return  to  the  northern  land,  a 
ride  down  the  valley  was  pure  joy  to  any  man  whose 
soul  was  tuned  in  harmony  with  the  great  outdoors; 
and  trouble  lagged  and  could  not  keep  pace  with  the 
riders. 

Half-way  down,  they  met  Valencia,  a  slim  young 
Spaniard  with  one  of  those  amazing  smiles  that  was 
like  a  flash  of  sunlight,  what  with  his  perfect  teeth, 
his  eyes  that  could  almost  laugh  out  loud,  and  a  sunny 


90  THE    GRINGOS 

soul  behind  them.  Valencia,  having  an  appetite  for 
acquiring  wisdom  of  various  kinds  and  qualities,  knew 
some  English  and  was  not  averse  to  making  strangers 
aware  of  the  accomplishment. 

Therefore,  when  the  two  greeted  him  in  Spanish,  he 
calmly  replied :  "  Hello,  pardner,"  and  pulled  up  for 
a  smoke. 

"  How  you  feel  for  my  dam-close  call  to-morrow  ?  " 
he  wanted  to  know  of  Jack,  when  he  learned  his  name. 

"  Pretty  well.  How  did  you  know  —  ?  "  began 
Jack,  but  the  other  cut  him  short. 

"  Jose,  she  heard  on  town.  The  patron,  she  's  worry 
leetle.  She  ?s  'fraid  for  Sefior  Hunter  be  keel.  Me,  I 
ride  to  find  for-sure."  Valencia  dropped  his  match, 
and  leaned  negligently  from  the  saddle  and  picked  it 
out  of  the  grass,  his  eyes  stealing  a  look  at  the  stranger 
as  he  came  up. 

"  Good  work,"  commented  Jack  under  his  breath 
to  Dade.  But  Valencia's  ears  were  keen  for  praise ;  he 
heard,  and  from  that  moment  he  was  Jack's  friend. 

"  I  borrowed  your  saddle,  Valencia/'  Jack  an 
nounced,  meaning  to  promise  a  speedy  return  of  it. 

"  Not  my  saddle ;  yours  and  mine,  amigo,"  amended 
Valencia  quite  simply  and  sincerely.  "  Mine,  she 's 
yours  also.  You  keep  him."  While  he  smoked  the 
little,  corn-husk  cigarette,  he  eyed  with  admiration  the 


THE   VALLEY  91 

copper-red  hair  upon  which  Manuel  had  looked  with 
disfavor. 

Before  they  rode  on  and  left  him,  his  friendliness 
had  stamped  an  agreeable  impression  upon  Jack's  con 
sciousness.  He  looked  back  approvingly  at  the  som- 
breroed  head  bobbing  along  behind  a  clump  of  young 
manzanita  just  making  ready  to  bloom  daintily. 

"  I  like  that  vaquero,"  he  stated  emphatically. 
"  He  's  worth  two  of  Manuel,  to  my  notion." 

"  Valencia  ?  He  's  not  half  the  man  old  Manuel  is. 
He  gambles  worse  than  an  Injun,  and  never  has  any 
thing  more  than  his  riding  outfit  and  the  clothes  on  his 
back,  they  tell  me.  And  he  fights  like  a  catamount 
when  the  notion  strikes  him ;  and  it  does  n't  seem  to 
make  much  difference  whether  he  's  got  an  excuse  or 
not.  He's  a  good  deal  like  you,  in  that  respect,"  he 
added,  with  that  perfect  frankness  which  true  friend 
ship  affects  as  a  special  privilege  earned  by  its  loyalty. 

"  Manuel  Js  got  tricky  eyes,"  countered  Jack.  "  He  's 
the  kind  of  Spaniard  that  will  '  Si,  Sefior,'  while  he  's 
hitching  his  knife  loose  to  get  you  in  the  back.  I  know 
the  breed;  I  lived  amongst  'em  before  I  ever  saw  you. 
Valencia  's  the  kind  I  'd  tie  to." 

"  And  I  was  working  with  'em  when  you  were  say 
ing  (  pitty  horsey !  '  My  first  job  was  with  a  Spanish 
outfit.  A  Mexican  majordomo  licked  me  into  shape 


92  THE    GRINGOS 

when  I  was  sweet  sixteen.  And/7  he  clinched  the  ar 
gument  mercilessly,  "  I  was  sixteen  and  drawing  a 
man's  pay  on  rodeo  when  you  wore  your  pants  buttoned 
on  to  your  waist !  " 

"  And  you  don't  know  anything  yet !  "  Jack  came 
hack  at  him.  Whereat  they  laughed  and  called  a  truce, 
which  was  the  way  of  them. 


CHAPTEK  VII 

THE  LORD  OF  THE  VALLEY 

SCATTEKED,  grazing  herds  of  wild,  long-horned 
cattle  that  ran  from  their  approach  gave  place  to 
feeding  mustangs  with  the  mark  of  the  saddle  upon 
them.  Later,  an  adobe  wall  confronted  them;  and  this 
thej  followed  through  a  grove  of  great  live  oaks  and 
up  a  grassy  slope  beyond,  to  where  the  long,  low  adobe 
house  sat  solidly  upon  a  natural  terrace,  with  the  valley 
lying  before  and  the  hills  at  its  back;  a  wide-armed, 
wide-porched,  red-roofed  adobe  such  as  the  Spanish 
aristocracy  loved  to  build  for  themselves.  The  sun 
shone  warmly  upon  the  great,  latticed  porch,  screened 
by  the  passion  vines  that  hid  one  end  completely  from 
view.  To  the  left,  a  wing  stretched  out  generously, 
with  windows  curtained  primly  with  some  white  stuff 
that  flapped  desultorily  in  the  fitful  breeze  from  the 
south.  At  the  right,  so  close  that  they  came  near  being 
a  part  of  the  main  structure  and  helped  to  give  the 
general  effect  of  a  hollow,  open-sided  square,  stood  a 
row  of  small  adobe  huts;  two  of  them  were  tiled  like 


94  THE    GRINGOS 

the  house,  and  the  last,  at  the  outer  end,  was  thatched 
with  tules. 

Into  the  immaculate  patio  thus  formed  hefore  the 
porch,  Dade  led  the  way  boldly,  as  one  sure  of  his  wel 
come.  Behind  the  vines  a  girl's  voice,  speaking 
rapidly  and  softly  with  a  laugh  running  all  through 
the  tones,  hushed  as  suddenly  as  does  a  wild  bird's 
twitter  when  strange  steps  approach.  And  just  as  sud 
denly  did  Dade's  nostrils  flare  with  the  quick  breath 
he  drew ;  for  tones,  if  one  listens  understandingly,  may 
tell  a  great  deal.  Even  Jack  knew  instinctively  that  a 
young  man  sat  with  the  girl  behind  the  vines. 

After  the  hush  they  heard  the  faint  swish  of  feminine 
movement.  She  came  and  stood  demurely  at  the  top 
of  the  wide  steps,  a  little  hoop  overflowing  soft,  white 
embroidered  stuff  in  her  hands. 

"  Welcome  home,  Seiior  Hunter,"  she  said,  and  made 
him  a  courtesy  that  was  one-third  politeness  and  the  rest 
pure  mockery.  "  My  father  will  be  relieved  in  his  mind 
when  he  sees  you.  I  think  he  slept  badly  last  night  on 
your  account." 

Wistfulness  was  in  Dade's  eyes  when  he  looked  at 
her;  as  though  he  wanted  to  ask  if  she  also  were  re 
lieved  at  seeing  him.  But  there  was  the  man  behind 
the  lattice  where  the  vines  were  thickest;  the  man  who 
was  young  and  whom  she  had  found  a  pleasant  com- 


LORD    OF    THE   VALLEY       95 

panion.  Also  there  was  Jack,  who  was  staring  with 
perfect  frankness,  his  eyes  a  full  shade  darker  as  he 
looked  at  her.  And  there  was  the  peon  scampering 
barefooted  across  from  one  of  the  huts  to  take  their 
horses.  Dade  therefore  confined  himself  to  conven 
tional  phrases. 

"  Senorita,  let  me  present  to  you  my  friend,  Jack 
Allen,"  he  said.  "  Jack,  this  is  the  Senorita  Teresa 
Picardo." 

His  nostrils  widened  again  when  he  looked  casually 
at  Jack;  for  Jack's  sombrero  was  swept  down  to  his 
knees  in  salute  —  though  it  was  not  that;  it  was  the 
look  in  his  face  that  sent  Dade's  glance  seeking  Teresita's 
eyes  for  answer. 

But  Teresita  only  showed  him  how  effectively  black 
lashes  contrast  with  the  faint  flush  of  cheeks  just  hint 
ing  at  dimples,  and  he  got  no  answer  there. 

She  made  another  little  courtesy,  lifting  her  lashes 
unexpectedly  for  a  swift  glance  at  Jack,  as  he  dis 
mounted  hastily  and  went  up  two  steps,  his  hand  out 
stretched  to  her. 

"  We  Americanos  like  to  shake  hands  upon  a  new 
friendship,"  he  said  boldly. 

The  senorita  laughed  a  little,  changed  her  embroid 
ery  hoop  from  her  right  hand  to  her  left,  laid  her  fin 
gers  in  his  palm,  blushed  when  his  hand  closed  upon 


96  THE    GRINGOS 

them  eagerly,  and  laughed  again  when  her  gold  thimble 
slipped  and  rolled  tinkling  down  the  steps. 

Dade  picked  the  thimble  out  of  a  matted  corner  of 
a  violet  bed,  and  returned  it  to  her  unsmilingly;  got 
a  flash  of  her  eyes  and  a  little  nod  for  his  reward,  and 
stood  back,  waiting  her  further  pleasure. 

"  You  have  had  adventures,  Sefior,  since  yesterday 
morning/'  she  said  to  him  lightly.  "  Truly,  you 
Americanos  do  very  wonderful  things !  Jose,  here  is 
Sefior  Hunter  and  his  friend  whom  he  stole  away  from 
the  Vigilantes  yesterday!  Did  you  have  the  invisible 
cap,  Sefior  ?  It  was  truly  a  miracle  such  as  the  padres 
tell  of,  that  the  blessed  saints  performed  in  the  books. 
Jose  told  us  what  he  heard  —  but  when  I  have  called 
my  mother,  you  yourself  must  tell  us  every  little  bit 
of  it." 

While  she  was  talking  she  was  also  pulling  forward 
two  of  the  easiest  chairs,  playing  the  hostess  prettily 
and  stealing  a  lash-hidden  glance  now  and  then  at  the 
tall  senor  with  such  blue  eyes  and  hair  the  like  of  which 
she  had  never  seen,  and  the  mouth  curved  like  the  lips 
of  a  woman. 

The  young  man  whom  she  addressed  as  Jose  rose 
negligently  and  greeted  them  punctiliously ;  seated  him 
self  again,  picked  up  a  guitar  and  strummed  a  minor 
chord  lazily. 


LORD    OF    THE   VALLEY       97 

"  Don  Andres  is  busy  at  the  corrals/7  Jose  volun 
teered,  when  the  girl  had  gone.  "  He  will  return  soon. 
You  had  a  disagreeable  experience,  Senor  ?  One  of  my 
vaqueros  heard  the  story  in  town.  There  was  a  rumor 
that  the  Vigilantes  were  sending  out  parties  to  search 
for  you  when  Carlos  started  home.  Senor  Allen  is 
lucky  to  get  off  so  easily." 

Jack  held  a  match  unlighted  in  his  fingers  while 
he  studied  the  face  of  Jose.  The  tone  of  him  had 
jarred,  but  his  features  were  wiped  clean  of  any  ex 
pression  save  faint  boredom;  and  his  fingers,  plucking 
a  plaintive  fragment  of  a  fandango  from  the  strings, 
belied  the  sarcasm  Jack  had  suspected.  Don  Andres 
himself,  at  that  moment  coming  eagerly  across  from  the 
hut  at  the  end  of  the  row,  saved  the  necessity  of  reply 
ing. 

"  Welcome  home,  amigo  mio !  "  cried  the  don,  hurry 
ing  up  the  steps,  sombrero  in  hand.  "  Never  has  sight 
of  a  horse  pleased  me  as  when  Diego  led  yours  to  the 
stable.  Thrice  welcome  —  since  you  bring  your  friend 
to  honor  my  poor  household  with  his  presence." 

No  need  to  measure  guardedly  those  tones,  or 
that  manner.  Don  Andres  Picardo  was  as  clean,  as 
honest,  and  as  kindly  as  the  sunshine  that  mellowed  the 
dim  distances  behind  him.  The  two  came  to  their  feet 
unconsciously  and  received  his  handclasp  with  inner 


98  THE    GRINGOS 

humility.  Don  Andres  held  Dade's  hand  a  shade 
longer  than  the  most  gracious  hospitality  demanded, 
while  his  eyes  dwelt  solicitously  upon  his  face,  hrowned 
near  to  the  shade  of  a  native  son  of  those  western 
slopes. 

"  I  heard  of  your  brave  deed,  Seiior  —  of  how  you 
rode  into  the  midst  of  the  Vigilantes  and  snatched  your 
friend  from  under  the  very  shadow  of  the  oak.  I  did 
not  hear  that  you  escaped  their  vengeance  afterwards, 
and  I  feared  greatly  lest  harm  had  befallen  you. 
Dios !  It  was  gallantly  done,  like  a  knight  of  olden 
times  —  " 

"  Oh,  no.  I  did  n't  rescue  any  lady,  Don  Andres. 
Just  Jack  —  and  he  was  in  a  fair  way  to  rescue  him 
self,  by  the  way.  It  was  n't  anything  much,  but  I 
suppose  the  story  did  grow  pretty  big  by  the  time  it 
got  to  you." 

"  And  does  your  friend  also  call  it  a  little  thing  ?  " 
The  don  turned  quizzically  to  Jack. 

"  He  does  not,"  Jack  returned  promptly,  although 
his  ears  were  listening  attentively  for  a  nearer  approach 
of  the  girl-voice  he  heard  within  the  house.  "  He  calls 
it  one  of  the  big  things  Dade  is  always  doing  for  his 
friends."  He  dropped  a  hand  on  Dade's  shoulder  and 
shook  him  with  an  affectionate  make-believe  of  dis 
favor.  "  He  's  always  risking  his  valuable  neck  to  save 


LORD    OF    THE   VALLEY       99 

my  worthless  one,  Don  Andres.  He  means  well,  but 
he  does  n't  know  any  better.  He  packed  me  out  of  a 
nest  of  Indians  once,  just  as  foolishly;  we  were  coming 
out  from  Texas  at  the  time.  You  'd  be  amazed  at  some 
of  the  things  I  could  tell  you  about  him  —  " 

"  And  about  himself,  if  he  would,"  drawled  Bade. 
"  If  he  ever  tells  you  about  the  Indian  scrape,  Don 
Andres,  ask  him  how  he  happened  to  get  into  the  nest. 
As  to  yesterday,  perhaps  you  heard  how  it  came  that 
Jack  got  so  close  to  the  oak !  " 

"  No  —  I  heard  merely  of  the  danger  you  were  in. 
Jose's  head  vaquero  was  in  town  when  the  Vigilantes 
returned  with  their  Captain  and  those  others,  and  there 
were  many  rumors.  This  morning  I  sent  Valencia  to 
learn  the  truth,  and  if  you  were  in  danger  —  Perhaps 
I  could  have  done  little,  but  I  should  have  tried  to  save 
you,"  he  added  simply.  "  I  should  not  like  a  clash 
with  the  gringos  —  pardon,  Senors ;  I  speak  of  the  class 
whom  you  also  despise." 

Jose  laughed  and  swept  the  strings  harshly  with  his 
thumb.  "  The  clash  will  come,  Don  Andres,  whether 
you  like  it  or  not,"  he  said.  "  This  morning  I  saw 
one  more  unasked  tenant  on  your  meadow,  near  the 
grove  of  alders.  What  they  call  a  '  prairie  schooner.' 
A  big,  red-topped  hombre,  and  his  woman  —  gringos 
of  the  class  I  despise ;  which  includes  "  —  again  he 


100  THE    GRINGOS 

flung  his  thumb  across  the  guitar  string  —  "all  grin- 
gos!" 

Jack's  lips  opened  for  hot  answer,  but  Don  Andres 
forestalled  him  quietly. 

"  One  more  tenant  does  not  harm  me,  Jose.  When 
the  American  government  puts  its  seal  upon  the  seal 
of  Spain  and  restores  my  land  to  me,  these  unasked 
tenants  will  go  the  way  they  came.  There  will  be  no 
clash."  But  he  sighed  even  while  he  made  the  state 
ment,  as  if  the  subject  were  neither  new  nor  pleasant 
to  dwell  upon. 

"Why,"  demanded  Jose  bitterly,  "should  the 
Americanos  presume  to  question  our  right  to  our 
land  ?  You  and  my  father  made  the  valley  what  it  is ; 
your  shiploads  of  hides  and  tallow  that  you  sent  from 
Yerba  Buena  made  the  town  prosper,  and  called  ad 
venturers  this  way;  and  now  they  steal  your  cattle  and 
lands,  and  their  government  is  the  biggest  thief  of  all, 
for  it  tells  them  to  steal  more.  They  will  make  you 
poor,  Don  Andres,  while  you  wait  for  them  to  be  just. 
No,  I  permit  no  l  prairie  schooner '  to  stop,  even  that 
their  oxen  may  drink.  My  vaqueros  ride  beside  them 
till  they  have  crossed  the  boundary.  You,  Don  Andres, 
if  you  would  permit  your  vaqueros  to  do  likewise,  in 
stead  of  shaking  hands  with  the  gringos  and  bidding 
them  welcome  —  " 


LORD   OF   THE    VALLEY     101 

"  But  I  do  not  permit  it ;  nor  do  I  seek  counsel  from 
the  children  I  have  tossed  on  my  foot  to  the  tune  of 
a  nursery  rhyme."  He  shook  his  white-crowned  head 
reprovingly.  "  He  was  always  screaming  at  his  duenna, 
one  child  that  I  recollect,"  he  smiled. 

"  Art  thou  scolding  Jose  again,  my  Andres  ?  He 
loves  to  play  that  thou  and  Teresita  are  children  still, 
Jose;  it  serves  to  beguile  him  into  forgetting  the  years 
upon  his  head!  Welcome,  Senors.  Teresita  but  told 
me  this  moment  that  you  had  come.  She  is  bringing 
the  wine  —  " 

On  their  feet  they  greeted  the  Senora  Picardo.  Like 
the  don,  her  husband,  honest  friendliness  was  in  her 
voice,  her  smile,  the  warm  clasp  of  her  plump  hand. 
The  sort  of  woman  who  will  mother  you  at  sight,  was 
the  senora.  Purple  silk  —  hastily  put  on  for  the  guests, 
one  might  suspect  —  clothed  her  royally.  Golden 
hoops  hung  from  her  ears,  a  diamond  brooch  held  to 
gether  the  lace  beneath  her  cushiony  chin;  a  comfort 
able  woman  who  smiled  much,  talked  much  and  wor 
ried  more  lest  she  leave  some  little  thing  undone  for 
those  about  her. 

"  And  this  is  the  poor  senor  who  was  in  such  dread 
ful  danger !  "  she  went  on  commiseratingly.  "  All,  the 
wicked  times  that  have  come  upon  us!  Presently  we 
shall  fear  to  sleep  in  our  beds  —  Senor  Hunter,  you 


THE    GRINGOS 

have  been  hurt !  The  mark  of  blood  is  on  your  sleeve, 
the  stain  is  on  your  side !  A-ah,  my  poor  friend  !  Come 
instantly  and  I  will  —  " 

"  Gracias,  Senora ;  it  is  nothing.  Besides,  Manuel 
put  on  a  poultice  of  herbs.  It  ?s  only  a  scratch,  but  it 
bled  a  little  while  I  rode  to  the  hut  of  Manuel."  If 
blushes  could  have  shown  through  the  tan,  Bade  might 
have  looked  as  uncomfortable  as  he  felt  at  that  moment. 

The  senorita  was  already  in  the  doorway,  convoying 
a  sloe-eyed  maid  who  bore  wine  and  glasses  upon  a 
tray  of  beaten  silver ;  and  the  smile  of  the  senorita  was 
disturbing  to  a  degree,  brief  though  it  was. 

Behind  the  wine  came  cakes,  and  the  senorita  pointed 
tragically  to  the  silver  dish  that  held  them.  "  Madre 
mi  a,  those  terrible  children  of  Margarita  have  stolen 
half  the  cakes !  I  ran  after  them  in  the  orchard  —  but 
they  swallow  fast,  those  ninos!  Now  the  seiiors  must 
starve !  " 

Up  went  the  hand  of  the  senora  in  dismay,  and  down 
went  the  head  of  the  senorita  to  hide  how  she  was  biting 
the  laughter  from  her  lips.  "  I  ran,"  she  murmured 
pathetically,  "  and  I  caught  Angelo  —  but  at  that  mo 
ment  he  popped  the  cake  into  his  mouth  and  it  was 
gone!  Then  I  ran  after  Maria  —  and  she  swal 
lowed—" 

"  Teresita  mia !    The  senors  will  think  —  " 


LORD    OF    THE   VALLEY     103 

What  they  would  think  she  did  not  stipulate,  but  her 
eyes  implored  them  to  judge  leniently  the  irrepressi- 
bility  of  her  beautiful  one.  There  were  cakes  sufficient 
—  a  hasty  glance  reassured  her  upon  that  point  —  and 
Teresita  was  in  one  of  her  mischievous  moods.  The 
mother  who  had  reared  her  sighed  resignedly  and 
poured  the  wine  into  the  small  glasses  with  a  quaint 
design  cut  into  their  sides,  perfectly  unconscious  of 
the  good  the  little  diversion  had  done. 

For  a  half-hour  there  was  peaceful  converse;  of  the 
adventure  which  had  brought  the  two  gringos  to  the 
ranch  as  to  a  sanctuary,  of  the  land  which  lay  before 
them,  and  of  the  unsettled  conditions  that  filled  the  days 
with  violence. 

Jose  still  strummed  softly  upon  the  guitar,  a  pleasant 
undertone  to  the  voices.  And  because  he  said  very  little, 
he  saw  and  thought  the  more ;  seeing  glances  and  smiles 
between  a  strange  man  and  the  maid  whom  he  loved 
desiref  ully,  bred  the  thought  which  culminated  in  a  sud 
den  burst  of  speech  against  the  gringos  who  had  come 
into  the  peaceful  land  and  brought  with  them  strife. 
Who  stole  the  cattle  of  the  natives,  calmly  appropriated 
the  choicest  bits  of  valley  land  without  so  much  as  a 
by-your-leave,  and  who  treated  the  rightful  owners  with 
contempt  and  as  though  they  had  no  right  to  live  in 
the  valley  where  they  were  born. 


104  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Last  week/'  he  went  on  hotly,  "  an  evil  gringo 
with  the  clay  of  his  bin-rowings  still  upon  his  garments 
cursed  me  and  called  me  greaser  because  I  did  not  give 
him  all  the  road  for  his  burro.  I,  Jose  Pacheco !  They 
had  better  have  a  care,  or  the  '  greasers  '  will  drive 
them  back  whence  they  came,  like  the  cattle  they  are. 
When  I,  a  don,  must  give  the  road  to  a  gringo  lower 
than  the  peons  whom  I  flog  for  less  impertinence,  it 
is  time  we  ceased  taking  them  by  the  hand  as  though 
they  were  our  equals !  "  His  eyes  went  accusingly  to 
the  face  of  the  girl. 

She  flung  up  her  head  and  met  the  challenge  in  her 
own  way,  which  was  with  the  knife-thrust  of  her  light 
laughter.  "  Ah,  the  poor  Americanos !  'Not  the  prayers 
of  all  the  padres  can  save  them  from  the  blackness  of 
their  fate,  since  Don  Jose  Pacheco  frowns  and  will 
not  take  their  hand  in  friendship !  How  they  will  gnash 
the  teeth  when  they  hear  the  terrible  tidings  —  Jose 
Pacheco,  don  and  son  of  a  don,  will  have  none  of  them, 
nor  will  he  give  way  to  their  poor  burros  on  the  high 
way  !  "  She  shook  her  head  as  she  had  done  over  the 
tragedy  of  the  little  cakes.  "  Pobre  gringos !  Pobre 
gringos !  "  she  murmured  mockingly. 

"  Children,  have  done !  "  The  hand  of  the  senora 
went  chidingly  to  the  shoulder  of  her  incorrigible 
daughter.  "  This  is  foolish  and  unseemly  —  though 


LORD    OF   THE   VALLEY     105 

all  thy  quarreling  is  that,  the  saints  know  well.  Our 
guests  are  Americanos ;  our  guests,  who  are  our  friends," 
she  stated  gently,  looking  at  Jose.  "  Not  all  Spaniards 
are  good,  Jose;  not  all  gringos  are  bad.  They  are  as 
we  are,  good  and  bad  together.  Speak  not  like  a  child, 
amigo  mio." 

The  guitar  which  Jose  flung  down  upon  a  broad  stool 
beside  him  hummed  resonant  accompaniment  to  his 
footsteps  as  he  left  the  veranda.  "  Thy  house,  Senora, 
has  been  as  my  mother's  house  since  I  can  remember. 
Until  thy  gringo  guests  have  made  room  for  me,  I 
leave  it !  " 

"  Senor  Allen,  would  you  like  to  see  my  birds  ?  " 
invited  Teresita  wickedly,  her  glance  flicking  scorn 
fully  the  reproachful  face  of  Jose,  as  he  turned  it  to 
wards  her,  and  dwelling  with  a  smile  upon  Jack. 

"  Wicked  one !  "  murmured  the  senora,  in  her  heart 
more  than  half  approving  the  discipline. 

Jose  had  humiliation  as  well  as  much  bitterness  to 
carry  away  with  him;  for  he  saw  the  senor  with  the 
bright  blue  eyes  follow  gladly  the  laughing  Teresita 
to  her  rose  garden,  and  as  he  went  jingling  across  the 
patio  without  waiting  to  summon  a  peon  to  bring  him 
his  horse,  he  heard  the  voice  of  Don  Andres  making 
apology  to  Dade  for  the  rudeness  of  him,  Jose. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DON    ANDRES    WANTS    A    MAJORDOMO 


,  those  things  which  you  desired  that  I 
should  bring,  I  have  brought.  All  is  of  the 
best.  Also  have  I  brought  a  letter  from  the  Seiior 
Weelson,  and  what  remains  of  the  gold  the  seiior  will 
find  laid  carefully  in  the  midst  of  his  clothing.  So 
I  have  done  all  as  it  would  have  been  done  for  the 
patron  himself."  In  the  downward  sweep  of  Manuel's 
sombrero  one  might  read  that  peculiar  quality  of  irony 
which  dislike  loves  to  inject  into  formal  courtesy. 

Behind  Manuel  waited  a  peon  burdened  with  elegant 
riding  gear  and  a  bundle  of  clothing,  and  a  gesture 
brought  him  forward  to  deposit  his  load  upon  the  porch 
before  the  gringo  guest,  whose  "  Gracias  "  Manuel 
waved  into  nothingness;  as  did  the  quick  shrug  dis 
dain  the  little  bag  of  gold  which  Jack  drew  from  his 
pocket  and  would  have  tossed  to  Manuel  for  reward. 

"  It  was  nothing,"  he  smiled  remotely  ;  and  went  his 
way  to  find  the  patron  and  deliver  to  him  a  message 
from  a  friend. 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     107 

Behind  Jack  came  the  click  of  slipper-heels  upon 
the  hardwood;  and  he  turned  from  staring,  puzzled, 
after  the  stiff-necked  Manuel,  and  gave  the  girl  a  smile 
such  as  a  man  reserves  for  the  woman  who  has  entered 
into  his  dreams. 

"  Santa  Maria,  what  elegance !  Now  will  the  senor 
ride  in  splendor  that  will  dazzle  the  eyes  to  look 
upon !  "  Teresita  bantered,  poking  a  slipper-toe  tenta 
tively  towards  the  saddle,  and  clasping  her  hands  in 
mock  rapture.  "  On  every  corner,  silver  crescents ;  on 
the  tapideros,  silver  stars  bigger  than  Venus;  riding 
behind  the  cantle,  a  whole  milky  way ;  Jose  will  surely 
go  mad  with  rage  when  he  sees.  Stars  has  Jose,  but 
no  moon  to  bear  him  company  when  he  rides.  Surely 
the  cattle  will  fall  upon  their  knees  when  the  senor 
draws  near !  " 

"  Shall  we  ride  out  and  put  them  to  the  test  ? "  he 
asked  wishfully,  shaking  out  the  bridle  to  show  the 
beautiful  design  of  silver  inlaid  upon  the  leather  cheek- 
piece,  and  stooping  to  adjust  a  big-roweled,  silver-in- 
crusted  spur  upon  his  boot-heel.  "  Manuel  does  exactly 
as  he  is  told.  I  said  he  was  to  get  the  best  he  could 
find  —  " 

"  And  so  no  vaquero  in  the  valley  will  be  so  gor 
geous  —  "  She  broke  off  suddenly  to  sing  in  lilting 
Spanish  a  fragment  of  some  old  song  that  told  of 


108  THE    GRINGOS 

the  lilies  of  the  field  that  "  Toil  not,  neither  do  they 
spin." 

"  That  is  not  kind.  I  may  not  spin,  but  I  toil  — 
I  leave  it  to  Dade  if  I  don't."  This  last,  because  he 
caught  sight  of  Dade  coming  across  from  the  row  of 
huts,  which  was  a  short  cut  up  from  the  corrals.  "  And 
I  can  show  you  the  remains  of  blisters  —  "  He  held 
out  a  very  nice  appearing  palm  towards  her,  and  looked 
his  fill  at  her  pretty  face,  while  she  bent  her  brows  and 
inspected  the  hand  with  the  gravity  that  threatened  to 
break  at  any  instant  into  laughter. 

That  sickening  grip  in  the  chest  which  is  a  real, 
physical  pain,  though  the  hurt  be  given  to  the  soul  of 
a  man,  slowed  Dade's  steps  to  a  lagging  advance  to 
wards  the  tableau  the  two  made  on  the  steps.  So  had 
the  senorita  sent  him  dizzy  with  desire  (and  with  hope 
to  brighten  it)  in  the  two  weeks  and  more  that  he  had 
been  the  honored  guest.  So  had  she  laughed  and 
teased  him  and  mocked  him;  and  he  had  believed  that 
to  him  alone  would  she  show  the  sweet  whimsies  of  her 
nature.  But  from  the  moment  when  he  laid  her  gold 
thimble  in  her  waiting  hand  and  got  no  reward  save 
an  absent  little  nod  of  thanks,  the  dull  ache  had  been 
growing  in  his  heart.  He  knew  what  it  was  that  had 
sent  Jose  off  in  that  headlong  rage  against  all  gringos; 
though  two  days  before  he  would  have  said  that  Jose's 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     109 

jealousy  was  for  him,  and  with  good  reason.  There 
had  been  glances  between  those  two  who  stood  now  so 
close  together  —  swift  measuring  of  the  weapons  which 
sex  uses  against  sex,  with  quick  smiles  when  the 
glances  chanced  to  meet.  Jose  also  had  seen  the  byplay ; 
and  the  fire  had  smoldered  in  his  eyes  until  at  last 
it  kindled  into  flame  and  drove  him  cursing  from  the 
place.  In  his  heart  Dade  could  not  blame  Jose. 

Forgotten  while  Teresita  held  back  with  one  hand 
a  black  lock  which  the  wind  was  trying  to  fling  across 
her  eyes,  and  murmured  mocking  commiseration  over 
the  half  obliterated  callouses  on  Jack's  hand,  Dade 
loitered  across  the  patio,  remembering  many  things 
whose  very  sweetness  made  the  present  hurt  more  bit 
ter.  He  might  have  known  it  would  be  like  this,  he 
told  himself  sternly ;  but  life  during  the  past  two  weeks 
had  been  too  sweet  for  forebodings  or  for  precaution. 
He  had  wanted  Jack  to  see  and  admire  Teresita,  with 
the  same  impulse  that  would  have  made  him  want  to 
show  Jack  any  other  treasure  which  Chance  held  out 
to  him  while  Hope  smiled  over  her  shoulder  and  whis 
pered  that  it  was  his. 

Well,  Jack  had  seen  her,  and  Jack  surely  admired 
her;  and  the  grim  humor  of  Dade's  plight  struck 
through  the  ache  and  made  him  laugh,  even  though  his 
jaws  immediately  went  together  with  a  click  of  teeth 


110  THE    GRINGOS 

and  cut  the  laugh  short.  He  might  have  known  —  but 
he  was  not  the  sort  of  man  who  stands  guard  against 
friend  and  foe  alike. 

And,  he  owned  to  himself,  Jack  was  unconscious  of 
any  hurt  for  his  friend  in  this  rather  transparent  woo 
ing.  A  little  thought  would  have  enlightened  him,  per 
haps,  or  a  little  observation ;  but  Bade  could  not  blame 
Jack  for  not  seeking  for  some  obstacle  in  the  path  of 
his  desires. 

"  She  says  1 'm  lazy  and  got  these  callouses  grabbing 
the  soft  snaps  last  summer  in  the  mines/'  Jack  called 
lightly,  when  finally  it  occurred  to  him  that  the  world 
held  more  than  two  persons.  "  I  ?m  always  getting  the 
worst  of  it  when  you  and  I  are  compared.  But  I  be 
lieve  I  've  got  the  best  of  you  on  riding  outfit,  old  man. 
Take  a  look  at  that  saddle,  will  you !  And  these  spurs ! 
And  this  bridle !  The  senorita  says  the  cattle  will  fall 
on  their  knees  when  I  ride  past ;  we  're  going  to  take 
a  gallop  and  find  out.  Want  to  come  along  ?  " 

"  Arrogant  one !  The  senorita  did  not  agree  to  that 
ride !  The  senorita  has  something  better  to  do  than 
bask  in  the  glory  of  so  gorgeous  a  seiior  while  he  in 
dulges  his  vanity  —  and  frightens  the  poor  cattle  so 
that,  if  they  yield  their  hides  at  killing  time,  there 
will  be  little  tallow  for  the  ships  to  carry  away !  " 

The  Senorita  Teresita  would  surely  never  be  guilty  of 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     111 

a  conscious  lowering  of  one  eyelid  to  point  her  raillery, 
but  the  little  twist  she  gave  to  her  lips  when  she  looked 
at  Dade  offered  a  fair  substitute;  and  the  flirt  of  her 
silken  skirts  as  she  turned  to  run  back  into  the  house 
was  sufficient  excuse  for  any  imbecility  in  a  man. 

Jack  looked  after  her  with  some  chagrin.  "  The 
little  minx!  A  man  might  as  well  put  up  his  hands 
when  he  hears  her  coming  —  huh  ?  Unless  he  's  ab 
solutely  woman-proof,  like  you.  How  do  you  manage 
it,  anyway  ?  " 

"  By  taking  a  squint  at  myself  in  the  looking-glass 
every  morning."  Dade's  face  managed  to  wrinkle 
humorously.  "  H-m.  You  are  pretty  gorgeous,  for  a 
fact.  Where  'a  the  riata  ?  " 

Jack  had  forgotten  that  he  had  ever  wanted  one.  He 
lifted  the  heavy,  high-cantled  saddle,  flung  it  down 
upon  the  other  side  and  untied  the  new  coil  of  braided 
rawhide  from  its  place  on  the  right  fork. 

"  A  six-strand,  eh  ?  I  could  tell  Manuel  a  few  things 
about  riatas,  if  he  calls  that  the  best !  Four  strands 
are  stronger  than  six,  any  time.  I  Ve  seen  too  many 
stranded  —  " 

"  The  senor  is  not  pleased  with  the  riata  ? " 

Manuel,  following  Don  Andres  across  to  the  veranda, 
had  caught  the  gesture  and  tone;  and  while  his  knowl 
edge  of  English  was  extremely  sketchy,  he  knew  six 


112  THE    GRINGOS 

and  four  when  he  heard  those  numerals  mentioned,  and 
the  rest  was  easy  guessing. 

"  The  four  strands  are  good,  but  the  six  are  better 
—  when  Joaquin  Murieta  lays  the  strands.  From  the 
hide  of  a  very  old  bull  was  this  riata  cut;  perhaps  the 
senor  is  aware  that  the  hide  is  thus  of  the  same  thick 
ness  throughout  and  strong  as  the  bull  that  grew  it. 
Not  one  strand  is  laid  tighter  than  the  other  strand ; 
the  wildest  bull  in  the  valley  could  not  break  it  —  if 
the  senor  should  please  to  catch  him !  Me,  I  could  have 
bought  three  riatas  for  the  gold  I  gave  for  this  one; 
but  the  senor  told  me  to  get  the  best."  His  shoulders 
went  up  an  inch,  though  Don  Andres  was  frowning  at 
the  tone  of  him.  "  The  senor  can  return  it  to  the  Mis 
sion  and  get  the  three,  or  he  can  exchange  it  with  any 
vaquero  in  the  valley  for  one  which  has  four  strands. 
I  am  very  sorry  that  the  senor  is  not  pleased  with  my 
choice." 

"  You  need  n't  be  sorry.  It  7s  a  very  pretty  riata, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  it  will  do  all  I  ask  of  it.  The 
saddle  ?s  a  beauty,  and  the  bridle  and  spurs  —  I  ?m  a 
thousand  times  obliged." 

"  It  is  nothing  and  less  than  nothing,"  disclaimed 
Manuel  once  more;  and  went  in  to  ask  the  seiiora  for 
a  most  palatable  decoction  whose  chief  ingredient  was 
blackberry  wine,  which  the  seiiora  recommended  to  all 


A   MAJORDOMO   WANTED     113 

and  sundry  for  various  ailments.  Though  Manuel,  the 
deceitful  one,  had  no  ailment,  he  did  have  a  keen  ap 
preciation  of  the  flavor  of  the  cordial,  and  his  medicine 
bottle  was  never  long  empty  —  or  full  —  if  he  could 
help  it. 

A  moment  later  Jack,  hearing  a  human,  feminine 
twitter  from  the  direction  of  the  rose  garden,  left  off 
examining  pridefully  his  belongings,  and  bolted  with 
out  apology,  after  his  usual  headlong  fashion. 

Don  Andres  sat  him  down  in  an  easy-chair  in  the 
sun,  and  sighed  as  he  did  so.  "  He  is  hot-tempered, 
that  vaquero,"  he  said  regretfully,  his  mind  upon 
Manuel.  "  Something  has  stirred  his  blood ;  surely 
your  friend  has  done  nothing  to  offend  him  ?  " 

"  Nothing  except  remark  that  he  has  always  liked 
a  four-strand  riata  better  than  six.  At  the  hut  he  was 
friendly  enough." 

"  He  is  not  the  only  one  whose  anger  is  easily  stirred 
against  the  gringos/7  remarked  the  don,  reaching  me 
chanically  for  his  tobacco  pouch,  while  he  watched 
Dade  absently  examining  the  new  riata. 

"  Senor  Hunter,"  Don  Andres  began  suddenly, 
"  have  you  decided  what  you  will  do  ?  Your  mine  in 
the  mountains  —  it  will  be  foolish  to  return  there  while 
the  hands  of  the  Vigilantes  arc  reaching  out  to  clutch 
you;  do  you  not  think  so?  More  of  the  tale  I  have 


114  THE    GRINGOS 

heard  from  Valencia,  who  returned  with  Manuel. 
Those  men  who  died  at  the  hand  of  your  friend  —  and 
died  justly,  I  am  convinced  —  had  friends  who  would 
give  much  for  close  sight  of  you  both." 

"  I  know ;  I  told  Jack  we  7d  have  to  keep  away  from 
town  or  the  mine  for  a  while.  He  wanted  to  go  right 
back  and  finish  up  the  fight !  "  Dade  grinned  at  the 
absurdity.  "  I  sat  down  hard  on  that  proposition." 
Not  that  phrase,  exactly,  did  he  use.  One  may  be  par 
doned  a  free  translation,  since,  though  he  spoke  in  ex 
cellent  Spanish,  he  did  not  twist  his  sentences  like  a 
native,  and  he  was  not  averse  to  making  use  of  cer 
tain  idioms  quite  as  striking  in  their  way  as  our  own 
Americanisms. 

Don  Andres  rolled  a  cigarette  and  smoked  it  thought 
fully.  "  You  were  wise.  Also,  I  bear  in  mind  your 
statement  that  you  could  not  long  be  content  to  remain 
my  guest.  Terribly  independent  and  energetic  are  you 
Americanos."  He  smoked  through  another  pause, 
while  Dade's  puzzled  glance  dwelt  secretly  upon  his 
face  and  tried  to  read  what  lay  in  his  mind.  It  seemed 
to  him  that  the  don  was  working  his  way  carefully  up 
to  a  polite  hint  that  the  visit  might  be  agreeably  ter 
minated;  and  his  uneasy  thoughts  went  to  the  girl. 
Did  her  father  resent  — 

"  My  majordomo,"  the  don  continued,  just  in  time 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     115 

to  hold  back  Dade's  hasty  assurance  that  they  would 
leave  immediately,  "  my  majordomo  does  not  please 
me.  Many  faults  might  I  name,  sufficient  to  make 
plain  my  need  for  another."  A  longer  wait,  as  if  time 
were  indeed  infinite,  and  he  owned  it  all.  "  Also  I 
might  name  reasons  for  my  choice  of  another,  who  is 
yourself,  Sefior  Hunter.  Perhaps  in  you  I  recognize 
simply  the  qualities  which  I  desire  my  majordomo  to 
possess.  Perhaps  also  I  desire  that  some  prejudiced 
countrymen  of  mine  shall  be  taught  a  lesson  and  made 
to  see  that  not  all  Americanos  are  unworthy.  However 
that  may  be,  I  shall  be  truly  glad  if  you  will  accept. 
The  salary  we  will  arrange  as  pleases  you,  and  your 
friend  will,  I  hope,  remain  in  whatever  capacity  you 
may  desire.  Further,  when  your  government  has  given 
some  legal  assurance  that  my  land  is  mine,"  he  smiled 
wrily  at  the  necessity  for  such  assurance,  "  as  much 
land  as  you  Americanos  call  a  i  section/  choose  it 
where  you  will  —  except  that  it  shall  not  take  my 
house  or  my  cultivated  land  —  shall  be  yours  for  the 
taking." 

"But  —  " 

"  'Not  so  much  the  offer  of  a  position  would  I  have 
you  consider  it,"  interrupted  the  other  with  the  first 
hint  of  haste  he  had  shown,  "  as  a  favor  that  I  would 
ask.  Times  are  changing,  and  we  natives  are  high- 


116  THE    GRINGOS 

chested  and  must  learn  to  make  room  for  others  who 
are  coming  amongst  us.  To  speak  praises  to  the 
face  of  a  friend  is  not  my  habit,  yet  I  will  say  that 
I  would  teach  my  people  to  respect  good  men,  what 
ever  the  race;  and  especially  Americanos,  who  will  be 
our  neighbors  henceforth.  I  shall  be  greatly  pleased 
when  you  tell  me  that  you  will  be  my  majordomo; 
more  than  ever  one  needs  a  man  of  intelligence  and 
tact  —  " 

"  And  are  none  of  our  own  people  tactful  or  intelli 
gent,  Don  Andres  Picardo  ? "  demanded  Manuel,  hav 
ing  overheard  the  last  sentence  or  two  from  the  door 
way.  He  came  out  and  stood  before  his  beloved 
"  patron,"  his  whole  fat  body  quivering  with  amazed 
indignation,  so  that  the  bottle  which  the  senora  had 
filled  for  him  shook  in  his  hand.  "  Amongst  the  grin 
gos  must  you  go  to  find  one  worthy?  Truly  it  is  as 
Don  Jose  tells  me ;  these  gringos  have  come  but  to  make 
trouble  where  all  was  peace.  To-day  he  told  me  all 
his  thoughts,  and  me,  I  hardly  believed  it  was  as  he 
said.  Would  the  patron  have  a  majordomo  who  knows 
nothing  of  rodeos,  nothing  of  the  cattle  —  " 

"  You  're  mistaken  there,  Manuel,"  Dade  broke  in 
calmly.  "  Whether  I  become  majordomo  or  not,  I  know 
cattle.  They  have  a  few  in  Texas,  where  I  came  from. 
I  ean  qualify  in  cowology  any  time.  And,"  he  added 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     117 

loyally,  "  so  can  Jack.  You  thought  he  did  n't  know 
what  he  was  talking  about,  when  he  was  looking  at 
that  riata ;  but  I  '11  back  him  against  any  man  in  Cali 
fornia  when  it  comes  to  riding  and  roping. 

"  But  that  need  n't  make  us  bad  friends,  Manuel.  I 
did  n't  come  to  make  trouble,  and  I  won't  stay  to  make 
any.  We  Ve  been  friends ;  let 's  stay  that  way.  I  'm 
a  gringo,  all  right,  but  I  Ve  lived  more  with  your  peo 
ple  than  my  own,  and  if  you  want  the  truth,  I  don't 
know  but  what  I  feel  more  at  home  with  them.  And 
the  same  with  Jack.  We  've  eaten  and  slept  with 
Spaniards  and  worked  with  them  and  played  with  them, 
half  our  lives." 

"  Still  it  is  as  Jose  says,"  reiterated  Manuel  stub 
bornly.  "  Till  the  gringos  came  all  was  well ;  when 
they  came,  trouble  came  also.  Till  the  gringos  came, 
no  watch  was  put  over  the  cattle,  for  only  those  who 
hungered  killed  and  ate.  Now  they  steal  the  patron's 
cattle  by  hundreds,  they  steal  his  land,  and  if  Jose 
speaks  truly,  they  would  steal  also  —  "  He  hesitated 
to  speak  what  was  on  his  tongue,  and  finished  lamely: 
"  what  is  more  precious  still. 

"  And  the  patron  will  have  a  gringo  for  major- 
domo  ?  "  He  returned  to  the  issue.  "  Then  I,  Manuel, 
must  leave  the  patron's  employ.  I  and  half  the 
vaqueros.  The  patron,"  he  added  with  what  came  close 


118  THE    GRINGOS 

to  a  sneer,  "  had  best  seek  gringo  vaqueros  —  with  the 
clay  of  the  mines  on  their  boots,  and  their  red  shirts 
to  call  the  bulls !  " 

"  I  shall  do  what  it  pleases  me  to  do,"  declared  the 
don  sternly.  "  Advice  from  my  vaqueros  I  do  not  seek. 
And  you,"  he  said  haughtily,  "  have  choice  of  two 
things;  you  may  crave  pardon  for  your  insolence  to 
my  guest,  who  is  also  my  friend,  and  who  will  hence 
forth  have  charge  of  my  vaqueros  and  my  cattle,  or 
you  may  go  whither  you  will ;  to  Don  Jose  Pacheco,  I 
doubt  not." 

He  leaned  his  white-crowned  head  against  the  high 
chair-back,  and  while  he  waited  for  Manuel's  decision 
he  gazed  calmly  at  the  border  of  red  tiles  which  showed 
at  the  low  eaves  of  the  porch  —  calmly  as  to  features 
only,  for  his  eyes  held  the  blaze  of  anger. 

"  Senors,  I  go."  The  brim  of  Manuel's  sombrero 
flicked  the  dust  of  the  patio. 

"  Come,  then,  and  I  will  reckon  your  wage,"  invited 
the  don,  coldly  courteous  as  to  a  stranger.  "  You  will 
excuse  me,  Seiior  ?  I  shall  not  be  long." 

Dade's  impulse  was  to  protest,  to  intercede,  to  say 
that  he  and  Jack  would  go  immediately,  rather  than 
stir  up  strife.  But  he  had  served  a  stern  apprentice 
ship  in  life,  and  he  knew  it  was  too  late  now  to  put 
out  the  fires  of  wrath  burning  hotly  in  the  hearts  of 


A   MAJORDOMO   WANTED     119 

those  two ;  however  completely  he  might  efface  himself, 
the  resentment  was  too  keen,  the  quarrel  too  fresh  to 
be  so  easily  forgotten. 

He  was  standing  irresolutely  on  the  steps  when  Jack 
came  back  from  the  rose  garden,  whistling  softly  an 
old  love-song  and  smiling  fatuously  to  himself. 

"  We  're  going  to  take  that  ride,  after  all,"  he  an 
nounced  gleefully.  "  Want  to  come  along  ?  She  's 
going  to  ask  her  father  to  come,  too  —  says  it  would 
be  terribly  improper  for  us  two  to  ride  alone.  What 's 
the  matter  ?  Got  the  toothache  ?  " 

Dade  straightened  himself  automatically  after  the 
slap  on  the  back  that  was  like  a  cuff  from  a  she-bear, 
and  grunted  an  uncivil  sentence. 

"  Come  over  to  the  saddle-house,"  he  commanded 
afterward.  "  And  take  that  truck  off  the  senora's  front 
steps  before  she  sees  it  and  has  a  fit.  I  want  to  talk 
to  you." 

"  Oh,  Lord !  "  wailed  Jack,  under  his  breath,  but  he 
shouldered  the  heavy  saddle  obediently,  leaving  Dade 
to  bring  what  remained.  "  Cut  it  short,  then ;  she  's 
gone  to  dress  and  ask  her  dad ;  and  I  'm  supposed  to 
order  the  horses  and  get  you  started.  What 's  the 
trouble  ?  " 

Dade  first  went  over  to  the  steps  before  their  sleep 
ing-room  and  deposited  Jack's  personal  belongings ;  and 


120  THE    GRINGOS 

Jack  seized  the  minute  of  grace  to  call  a  peon  and 
order  the  horses  saddled. 

He  turned  from  watching  proudly  the  glitter  of  the 
trimmings  on  his  new  saddle  as  the  peon  bore  it  away 
on  his  shoulder,  and  confronted  Dade  with  a  tinge  of 
defiance  in  his  manner. 

"  Well,  what  have  I  done  now  ? "  he  challenged. 
"  Anything  particularly  damnable  about  talking  five 
minutes  to  a  girl  in  plain  sight  of  her  —  " 

Dade  threw  out  both  hands  in  a  gesture  of  impa 
tience.  "  That  is  n't  the  only  important  thing  in  the 
world/'  he  pointed  out  sarcastically.  If  the  inner  hurt 
served  to  sharpen  his  voice,  he  did  not  know  it.  "  Don 
Andres  wants  to  make  me  his  majordomo." 

Jack's  eyes  bulged  a  little;  and  if  Dade  had  not 
wisely  side-stepped  he  would  have  received  another  one 
of  Jack's  muscle-tingling  slaps  on  the  shoulder. 
"  Whee-ee !  Say,  you  're  getting  appreciated,  at  last, 
old  man.  Good  for  you !  Give  me  a  job  ?  " 

"  I  'm  not  going  to  take  it,"  said  Dade.  "  I  was 
going  to  ask  you  if  you  want  to  pull  out  with  me 
to-morrow." 

Jack's  jaw  went  slack.  "  ISTot  going  to  take  it !  "  He 
leaned  against  the  adobe  wall  behind  him  and  stuck 
both  hands  savagely  into  his  pockets.  "  Why,  you 
darned  chump,  how  long  ago  was  it  that  you  talked 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     121 

yourself  black  in  the  face,  trying  to  make  me  say  I  'd 
stay?  Argued  like  a  man  trying  to  sell  shaving  soap; 
swore  that  nohody  but  a  born  idiot  would  think  of 
passing  up  such  a  chance;  badgered  me  into  giving  in; 
and  now  when  you  've  got  a  chance  like  this,  you  — 
Say,  you  're  loco !  " 

"  Maybe."  Dade's  eyes  went  involuntarily  toward 
the  veranda,  where  Teresita  appeared  for  an  instant, 
looking  questioningly  towards  them.  "  Maybe  I  am 
loco.  But  Manuel's  mad  because  the  don  offered  me 
the  place,  and  has  quit;  and  he  says  half  the  vaqueros 
will  leave,  that  they  won't  work  under  a  gringo." 

Jack's  indignant  eyes  changed  to  a  queer,  curious 
stare.  "  Dade  Hunter !  If  I  did  n't  know  you,  if  I 
had  n't  seen  you  in  more  tight  places  than  I  've  got 
fingers  and  toes,  I  'd  say  —  But  you  are  n't  scared ; 
you  never  had  sense  enough  to  be  afraid  of  anything 
in  your  life.  You  can't  choke  that  down  me,  old  man. 
What 's  the  real  reason  why  you  want  to  leave  ?  " 

The  real  reason  came  again  to  the  doorway  sixty 
feet  away  and  looked  out  impatiently  to  where  the 
senors  were  talking  so  earnestly  and  privately;  but 
Dade  would  have  died  several  different  and  unpleasant 
deaths  before  he  would  name  that  reason.  Instead : 

"  It  will  be  mighty  disagreeable  for  Don  Andres,  try 
ing  to  keep  things  smooth,"  he  said.  "  And  it  is  n't  as 


122  THE    GRINGOS 

if  he  were  stuck  for  a  majordomo.  Manuel  has  turned 
against  me  from  pure  jealousy.  He  opened  his  heart, 
one  night  when  we  were  alone  together,  and  told  me 
that  when  Carlos  Pacorra  went  —  and  Manuel  said  the 
patron  would  not  keep  him  long,  for  his  insolence  —  he, 
Manuel,  would  be  majordomo.  He  's  mad  as  the  deuce, 
and  I  don't  blame  him ;  and  he  's  a  good  man  for  the 
place;  the  vaqueros  like  him." 

"  You  say  he  's  quit  ?  " 

"  Yes.  He  got  pretty  nasty,  and  the  don  has  gone  to 
pay  him  off." 

"  Well,  what  good  would  it  do  for  you  to  turn  down 
the  offer,  then  ?  Manuel  would  n't  get  it,  would  he  ?  " 

"  No-o,  he  would  n't." 

"  Well,  then  —  oh,  thunder !  Something  ought  to 
be  done  for  that  ingrowing  modesty  of  yours !  Bade, 
if  you  pass  up  that  place,  I  '11  —  I  '11  swear  you  're 
crazy.  I  know  you  like  it,  here.  You  worked  hard 
enough  to  convert  me  to  that  belief !  " 

A  sudden  thought  made  him  draw  a  long  breath; 
he  reached  out  and  caught  Dade  by  both  shoulders. 

"  Say,  you  can't  fool  me  a  little  bit !  You  're  back 
ing  up  because  you  're  afraid  I  may  be  jealous  or  some 
thing.  You  're  afraid  you  're  standing  in  my  light. 
Darn  you,  I  Ve  had  enough  of  that  blamed  unselfishness 
of  yours,  old  man."  The  endearing  smile  lighted  his 


A   MAJORDOMO    WANTED     123 

face  then  and  his  eyes.  "  You  go  ahead  and  take  the 
job,  Bade.  I  don't  want  it.  I  '11  be  more  than  con 
tent  to  have  you  boss  me  around."  He  hesitated,  look 
ing  at  the  other  a  bit  wistfully.  "  Of  course,  you  know 
that  if  you  go,  old  boy,  I  '11  go  with  you.  But  —  " 
The  look  he  sent  towards  Teresita,  who  appeared 
definitely  upon  the  porch  and  stood  waiting  openly  and 
impatiently,  amply  finished  the  sentence. 

Dade's  eyes  followed  Jack's  understandingly,  and 
the  thing  he  had  meant  to  do  seemed  all  at  once  con 
temptible,  selfish,  and  weak.  He  had  meant  to  leave 
and  take  Jack  with  him,  because  it  hurt  him  mightily 
to  see  those  two  falling  in  love  with  each  other.  The 
trouble  his  staying  might  bring  to  Don  Andres  was 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  subterfuge.  If  Teresita's 
smiles  had  continued  to  be  given  to  him  as  they  had 
been  before  Jack  came,  he  told  himself  bitterly,  he 
would  never  have  thought  of  going.  And  Jack  thought 
he  hesitated  from  pure  unselfishness !  The  fingers  that 
groped  mechanically  for  his  tobacco,  though  he  had  no 
intention  of  smoking  just  them,  trembled  noticeably. 

"All  right,"  he  said  quietly.  "I'll  stay,  then." 
And  a  moment  after :  "  Go  ask  her  if  she  wants  to  ride 
Surry.  I  promised  her  she  could,  next  time  she  rode." 


CHAPTEE  IX 

JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER 

THE  senorita,  it  would  seem,  had  lost  interest  in 
the  white  horse  as  well  as  in  his  master.  That  was 
the  construction  which  Dade  pessimistically  put  upon 
her  smiling  assurance  that  she  could  never  be  so  selfish 
as  to  take  Senor  Hunter's  wonderful  Surry  and  con 
demn  him  to  some  commonplace  caballo;  though  she 
gave  also  a  better  reason  than  that,  which  was  that  her 
own  horse  was  already  saddled  —  witness  the  peon 
leading  the  animal  into  the  patio  at  that  very  moment 
—  and  that  an  exchange  would  mean  delay.  Dade  took 
both  reasons  smilingly,  and  mentally  made  a  vow  with 
a  fearsome  penalty  attached  to  the  breaking  of  it.  After 
which  he  felt  a  little  more  of  a  man,  with  his  pride  to 
bear  him  company. 

Manuel  came  out  from  the  room  which  Don  Andres 
used  for  an  office,  saluted  the  senorita  with  the  air  of  a 
permanent  leave-taking,  as  well  as  a  greeting,  and 
passed  the  gringos  with  face  averted.  A  moment  later 
the  don  followed  him  with  the  look  of  one  who  would 


JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER  125 

dismiss  a  distasteful  business  from  his  mind;  and 
entered  amiably  into  the  pleasure-seeking  spirit  of  the 
ride. 

With  the  March  sun  warm  upon  them  when  they  rode 
out  from  the  wide  shade  of  the  oaks,  they  faced  the 
cooling  little  breeze  which  blew  out  of  the  south. 

"  Valencia  tells  me  that  the  prairie  schooner  which 
Jose  spoke  of  has  of  a  truth  cast  anchor  upon  my  land/' 
observed  the  don  to  Dade,  reining  in  beside  him  where 
he  rode  a  little  in  advance  of  the  others.  "  Since  we 
are  riding  that  way,  we  may  as  well  see  the  fellow  and 
make  him  aware  of  the  fact  that  he  is  trespassing  upon 
land  which  belongs  to  another;  though  if  he  has  halted 
but  to  rest  his  cattle  and  himself,  he  is  welcome.  But 
Valencia  tells  me  that  the  fellow  is  cutting  down  trees 
for  a  house,  and  that  I  do  not  like." 

"  Some  emigrants  seem  to  think,  because  they  have 
traveled  over  so  much  wilderness,  there  is  no  land  west 
of  the  Mississippi  that  they  have  n't  a  perfect  right  to 
take,  if  it  suits  them.  They  are  a  little  like  your 
countryman  Columbus,  I  suppose.  Every  man  who 
crosses  the  desert  feels  as  if  he  's  out  on  a  voyage  of 
discovery  to  a  now  world;  and  when  he  does  strike 
California,  it 's  hard  for  him  to  realize  that  he  can't 
take  what  he  wants  of  it." 

"  I  think  you  are  right,"  admitted  Don  Andres  after 


126  THE    GRINGOS 

a  minute.  "  And  your  government  also  seems  to  believe 
it  has  come  into  possession  of  a  wilderness,  peopled 
only  by  savages  who  must  give  way  to  the  march  of 
civilization.  Whereas  we  Spaniards  were  in  posses 
sion  of  the  land  while  yet  your  colonies  paid  tribute  to 
their  king  in  England,  and  we  ourselves  have  brought 
the  savages  to  the  ways  of  Christian  people,  and  have 
for  our  reward  the  homes  which  we  have  built  with 
much  toil  and  some  hardships,  like  yourselves  when 
your  colonies  were  young.  Twenty-one  years  have  I 
looked  upon  this  valley  and  called  it  mine,  with  the 
word  of  his  Majesty  for  my  authority!  And  surely 
my  right  to  it  is  as  the  right  of  your  people  to  their 
haciendas  in  Virginia  or  Vermont.  Yet  men  will  drive 
their  prairie  schooners  to  a  spot  which  pleases  them 
and  say :  {  Here,  I  will  have  this  place  for  my  home.' 
That  is  not  lawful,  or  right." 

Ten  steps  in  the  rear  of  them  Teresita  was  laughing 
her  mocking  little  laugh  that  still  had  in  it  a  madden 
ing  note  of  tenderness.  Dade  tried  not  to  hear  it ;  for 
so  had  she  laughed  at  him,  a  week  ago,  and  set  his 
blood  leaping  towards  his  heart.  He  was  not  skilled  in 
the  ways  of  women,  yet  he  did  not  accuse  her  of  de 
liberate  coquetry,  as  a  man  is  prone  to  do  under  the 
smart  of  a  hurt  like  his;  for  he  sensed  dimly  that  it 
was  but  the  seeking  sex-instinct  of  healthy  youth  that 


JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER  127 

brightened  her  eyes  and  sent  the  laugh  to  her  lips  when 
she  faced  a  man  who  pleased  her ;  and  if  she  were  fickle, 
it  was  with  the  instinctive  fickleness  of  one  who  has 
not  made  final  choice  of  a  mate.  Hope  lifted  its  head 
at  that,  but  he  crushed  it  sternly  into  the  dust  again; 
for  the  man  who  rode  behind  was  his  friend,  whom  he 
loved. 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  voice  of  the  girl  held  more 
of  his  attention  than  the  complaint  of  the  don,  just 
then,  and  that  the  sting  of  injustice  under  which  Don 
Andres  squirmed  seemed  less  poignant  and  vital  than 
the  hurt  he  himself  was  bearing.  He  answered  him  at 
random;  and  he  might  have  betrayed  his  inattention 
if  they  had  not  at  that  moment  caught  sight  of  the 
interlopers. 

Valencia  had  not  borne  false  witness  against  them; 
the  emigrants  were  indeed  cutting  down  trees.  More, 
they  were  industriously  hauling  the  logs  to  the  imme 
diate  vicinity  of  their  camp,  which  was  chosen  with 
an  eye  to  many  advantages ;  shade,  water,  a  broad  view 
of  the  valley  and  plenty  of  open  grass  land  already  fit 
for  the  plow,  if  to  plow  were  their  intention. 

A  loose-jointed  giant  of  a  man  seated  upon  the  load 
of  logs  which  two  yoke  of  great,  meek-eyed  oxen  had 
just  drawn  up  beside  a  waiting  pile  of  their  fellows, 
waited  phlegmatically  their  approach.  A  woman,  all 


128  THE    GRINGOS 

personality  hidden  beneath  flapping  calico  and  slat  sun- 
bonnet,  climbed  hastily  down  upon  the  farther  side  of 
the  wagon  and  disappeared  into  the  little  tent  that  was 
simply  the  wagon-box  with  its  canvas  covering,  placed 
upon  the  ground. 

"  Valencia  told  me  truly.  Senor  Hunter,  will  you 
speak  for  me?  Tell  the  big  hombre  that  the  land  is 
mine." 

To  do  his  bidding,  Dade  flicked  the  reins  upon 
Surry's  neck  and  rode  ahead,  the  others  closely  follow 
ing.  Thirty  feet  from  the  wagon  a  great  dog  of  the 
color  called  brindle  disputed  his  advance  with  bristling 
hair  and  throaty  grumble. 

"  Lay  down,  Tige !  Wait  till  you  're  asked  to  take 
a  holt,"  advised  the  man  on  the  wagon,  regarding  the 
group  with  an  air  of  perfect  neutrality.  Tige  obey 
ing  sullenly,  to  the  extent  that  he  crouched  where  he 
was  and  still  growled;  his  master  rested  his  elbows  on 
his  great,  bony  knees,  sucked  at  a  short-stemmed  clay 
pipe  and  waited  developments. 

"  How  d'yuh  do?  "    Dade,  holding  Surry  as  close  to 

the  belligerent  Tige  as  was  wise,  tried  to  make  his 

| 
greeting  as  neutral  as  the  attitude  of  the  other. 

"  Tol'ble,  thank  yuh,  how  's  y'self  ?  Shet  your  trap, 
Tige!  Tige  thought  you  was  all  greasers,  and  he  ain't 
made  up  his  mind  yet  whether  he  likes  ?em  mixed  — 


JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER  129 

whites  and  greasers.  I  dunno  7s  I  blame  'im,  either. 
We  ain't  either  of  us  had  much  call  to  hanker  after  the 
dark  meat.  T'  other  day  a  bunch  come  boilin'  up  outa 
the  dim  distance  like  they  was  sent  fur  and  did  n't  have 
much  time  to  git  here.  Tied  their  tongues  into  hard 
knots  tryin'  to  tell  me  somethin'  I  did  n't  have  time  to 
listen  to,  and  looked  like  they  wanted  to  see  my  hide 
hangin'  on  a  fence. 

"  Tige,  he  did  n't  take  to  'em  much.  He  kept  walkin' 
back  and  forth  between  me  and  them,  talking  as  sensi 
ble  as  they  did,  I  must  say,  and  makin'  his  meanin' 
full  as  clear.  I  dunno  how  we  'd  all  'a'  come  out,  if  I 
had  n't  brought  Jemimy  and  the  twins  out  and  let  'em 
into  the  argument.  Them  greasers  did  n't  like  the  looks 
of  old  Jemimy,  and  they  backed  off.  Tige,  he  follered 
'em  right  up,  and  soon 's  they  got  outa  reach  of 
Jemimy,  they  took  down  their  lariats  an'  tried  to 
hitch  onto  him. 

"  They  did  n't  know  Tige.  That  thar  dawg  's  the 
quickest  dawg  on  earth.  He  hopped  through  their 
loops  like  they  was  playin'  jump-the-rope  with  him. 
Fact  is,  he  'd  learned  jump-the-rope  when  he  was  a 
purp.  He  would  n't  'a'  minded  that,  only  they  did  n't 
do  it  friendly.  One  feller  whipped  out  his  knife  and 
throwed  it  at  Tige  —  and  he  come  mighty  nigh 
makiii'  dawg-meat  outa  him,  too.  Slit  his  ear,  it  come 


130  THE   GRINGOS 

that  close.  Tige  ain't  got  no  likin'  fer  greasers  sence 
then.  He  thought  you  was  another  bunch  —  and  so 
did  I.  Mary,  she  put  inside  after  Jemimy  and  the 
t\vins. 

"  Know  anything  about  them  greasers  ?  I  see  yuh 
got  a  sample  along.  T'  other  crowd  was  headed  by  a 
slim  feller  all  tricked  up  in  velvet  and  silver  braid  and 
red  sash ;  called  himself  Don  Jose  Pacheco,  and  claimed 
to  own  all  Ameriky  from  the  ocean  over  there,  back  to 
the  Allegheny  Mountains,  near  as  I  could  make  out. 
I  don't  talk  that  kinda  talk  much;  but  I  been  thinkin' 
mebby  I  better  get  m'  tongue  split,  so  I  can.  Might 
come  handy,  some  time;  only  Tige,  he  hates  the  sound 
of  it  like  he  hates  porkypines  —  or  badgers. 

"  Mary  and  me  and  Tige  laid  up  in  Los  Angeles 
fer  a  spell,  resting  the  cattle.  All  greasers,  down  there 
—  and  fleas  —  and  take  the  two  together,  they  jest 
about  wore  out  the  hull  kit  and  b'ilin'  of  us. 

"  What 's  pesterin'  the  ole  feller  ?  Pears  like  he  's 
gittin'  his  tongue  twisted  up  ready  to  talk  —  if  they 
call  it  talkin'." 

"  What  is  the  hombre  saying  ?  "  asked  the  don  at 
that  moment,  seeing  the  glance  and  sensing  that  at  last 
his  presence  was  noticed. 

Dade  grinned  and  winked  at  Jack,  who,  by  the  way, 
was  neither  looking  nor  listening;  for  Teresita  was 


JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER  131 

once  more  tenderly  ridiculing  his  star-incrusted  saddle 
and  so  claimed  his  whole  attention. 

"  He  says  Jose  Pacheco  and  some  others  came  and 
ordered  him  off.  They  were  pretty  ugly,  hut  he  called 
out  a  lady  —  the  Senora  Jemima  and  dos  ninos  — 
and  —  " 

"  Sa-ay,  mister,"  interrupted  the  giant  Jerry  Simp 
son  from  the  load  of  logs.  "  D'  you  say  Senory 
Jemimy  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes.     Senora  means  madame,  or  —  " 

"  Ya'as,  I  know  what  it  means.  Jemimy,  mister, 
ain't  no  senory,  nor  no  madame.  Jemimy  's  my  old 
Kentucky  rifle,  mister.  And  the  twins  ain't  no  neenos, 
hut  a  brace  uh  pistols  that  can  shoot  fur  as  it 's  re 
spectable  fer  a  pistol  to  shoot,  and  hit  all  it 's  lawful 
to  hit.  You  tell  him  who  Jemimy  is,  mister;  and  tell 
'im  she  's  a  derned  good  talker,  and  most  convincin'  in 
a  argyment." 

"  He  says  Jemima  is  not  a  senora,"  translated  Dade, 
his  eyes  twinkling,  "  but  his  rifle ;  and  the  ninos  are 
his  pistols." 

Don  Andres  hid  a  smile  under  his  white  mustache. 
"  Very  good.  Yet  I  think  your  language  must  lack 
expression,  Senor  Hunter.  It  required  much  speech  to 
say  so  little."  There  was  a  twinkle  in  his  own  eyes. 
"  Also,  Jose  acts  like  a  fool.  You  may  tell  the  big 


132  THE    GRINGOS 

senor  that  the  land  is  mine,  but  that  I  do  not  desire 
to  use  harsh  methods,  nor  have  ill-feeling  between  us. 
It  is  my  wish  to  live  in  harmony  with  all  men;  my 
choice  of  a  majordomo  should  bear  witness  that  I  look 
upon  Americanos  with  a  friendly  eye.  I  think  the  big 
hombre  is  honest  and  intelligent ;  his  face  rather  pleases 
me.  So  you  may  tell  him  that  Jose  shall  not  trouble 
him  again,  and  that  I  shall  not  dispute  with  him  about 
his  remaining  here,  if  to  remain  should  be  his  purpose 
when  he  knows  the  land  belongs  to  me.  But  I  shall 
look  upon  him  as  a  guest.  As  a  guest,  he  will  be  wel 
come  until  such  time  as  he  may  find  some  free  land 
upon  which  to  build  his  casa." 

Because  the  speech  was  kindly  and  just,  and  because 
he  was  in  the  service  of  the  don,  Dade  translated  as 
nearly  verbatim  as  the  two  languages  would  permit. 
And  Jerry  Simpson,  while  he  listened,  gave  several  hard 
pulls  with  his  lips  upon  the  short  stem  of  his  pipe,  dis 
covered  that  there  was  no  fire  there,  straightened  his 
long  leg  and  felt  gropingly  for  a  match  in  the  depth 
of  a  great  pocket  in  his  trousers.  His  eyes,  of  that  in 
determinate  color  which  may  be  either  gray,  hazel,  or 
green,  as  the  light  and  his  mooct  may  affect  them, 
measured  the  don  calmly,  dispassionately,  unawed; 
measured  also  Dade  and  the  beautiful  white  horse  he 
rode;  and  finally  went  twinkling  over  Jack  and  the 


JERRY  SIMPSON,  SQUATTER  133 

girl,  standing  a  little  apart,  wholly  absorbed  in  triviali 
ties  that  could  interest  no  one  save  themselves. 

"  How  much  land  does  he  say  belongs  to  him  ?  And 
whar  did  he  git  his  title  to  it  ?  "  Jerry  Simpson  asked, 
when  Bade  was  waiting  for  his  answer. 

Out  of  his  own  knowledge  Bade  told  him. 

Jerry  Simpson  brought  two  matches  from  his  pocket, 
inspected  them  gravely  and  returned  one  carefully; 
lighted  the  other  with  the  same  care,  applied  the  flame 
to  his  tobacco,  made  sure  that  the  pipe  was  going  to 
"  draw  "  well,  blew  out  the  match,  and  tucked  the  stub 
down  out  of  sight  in  a  crease  in  the  bark  of  the  log 
upon  which  he  was  sitting.  After  that  he  rested  his 
elbows  upon  his  great,  bony  knees  and  smoked  medita 
tively. 


CHAPTEK  X 

THE  FINEST  LITTLE  WOMAN  IN   THE  WOBLD 

'OU  tell  Mr.  Picardy  that  I  ain't  visitin'  no 
body,  so  he  need  n't  consider  that  I  'm  com 
pany,"  announced  Jerry,  after  a  wait  that  was  begin 
ning  to  rasp  the  nerves  of  his  visitors.  "  I  come  here 
to  live !  He  's  called  this  land  hisn,  by  authority  uh 
the  king  uh  Spain,  you  say,  for  over  twenty  year.  Wall, 
in  twenty  year  he  ain't  set  so  much  as  a  fence-post  fur 
as  the  eye  can  see.  I  been  five  mile  from  here  on  every 
side,  and  I  don't  see  no  signs  of  his  ever  usin'  the  land 
fer  nothin'.  ISTow,  mebby  the  king  uh  Spain  knew 
what  he  was  talkin'  about  when  he  give  this  land  away, 
and  then  agin  mebby  he  did  n't.  'T  any  rate,  I  don't 
know  as  I  think  much  of  a  king  that  '11  give  away  a  hull 
great  gob  uh  land  he  never  seen,  and  give  it  to  one  fel 
ler  —  more  'n  that  feller  could  use  in  a  hull  lifetime ; 
more  'n  he  would  ever  need  fer  his  young  'uns,  even 
s'posin'  he  had  a  couple  uh  dozen  —  which  ain't 
skurcely  respectable  fer  one  man,  nohow.  How  many's 
he  got,  mister  ?  " 


THE  FINEST  WOMAN        135 

"  One  —  his  daughter,  over  there." 

"  Hum-mh !  Wall,  she  ain't  goin'  to  need  so  derned 
much.  You  tell  Mr.  Picardy  I  Ve  come  a  long  ways 
to  find  a  home  fer  Mary  and  me;  a  long  road  and  a 
hard  road.  I  can't  go  no  further  without  I  swim  fer 
it,  and  that  I  don't  calc'late  on  doin'.  I  ain't  the  kind 
to  hog  more  land  'n  what  I  can  use  —  not  mentionin' 
no  names;  but  I  calc'late  on  havin'  what  I  need,  if  I 
can  get  it  honest.  My  old  mother  used  to  read  outa  the 
Bible  that  the  earth  was  the  Lord's  and  the  fullness 
thereof;  and  I  ain't  never  heard  of  him  handin'  over 
two-thirds  of  it  to  any  king  uh  Spain.  What  he 's 
snoopin'  around  in  Ameriky  fur,  givin'  away  great  big 
patches  uh  country  he  never  seen,  I  ain't  askin'.  Cali- 
forny  belongs  to  the  United  States  of  Ameriky,  and  the 
United  States  of  Ameriky  lets  her  citizens  make  homes 
for  themselves  and  their  families  on  land  that  ain't  al 
ready  in  use.  If  Mr.  Picardy  can  show  me  a  deed  from 
Gawd  Almighty,  signed,  sealed,  and  delivered  along 
about  the  time  Moses  got  hisn  fer  the  Land  uh  Canyan, 
or  if  he  can  show  a  paper  from  Uncle  Sam,  sayin'  this 
place  belongs  to  him,  I  '11  throw  off  these  logs,  h'ist 
the  box  back  on  the  wagon  and  look  further ;  but  I  ain't 
goin'  to  move  on  the  say-so  uh  no  furrin'  king,  which 
I  don't  believe  in  nohow." 

He  took  the  pipe  from  his  mouth,  and  with  it  pointed 


136  THE    GRINGOS 

to  a  spot  twenty  feet  away,  so  that  they  all  looked  to 
wards  the  place. 

"  Eight  thar,"  he  stated  slowly,  "  is  whar  I  'm  goin' 
to  build  my  cabin,  fer  me  and  Mary.  And  right  over 
thar  1 'm  goin'  to  plow  me  up  a  truck  patch.  I  'm  a 
peaceable  man,  mister.  I  don't  aim  to  have  no  fussin' 
with  my  neighbors.  But  you  tell  Mr.  Picardy  that 
thar  '11  be  loopholes  cut  on  all  four  sides  uh  that  thar 
cabin,  and  Jemimy  and  the  twins  '11  be  ready  to  argy 
with  anybody  that  comes  moochin'  around  unfriendly. 
I  'm  the  peaceablest  man  you  ever  seen,  but  when  I 
make  up  my  mind  to  a  thing,  I  'm  firm !  Pur-ty  tol'- 
able  firm !  "  he  added  with  complacent  emphasis. 

He  waited  expectantly  while  Dade  put  a  revised 
version  of  this  speech  into  Spanish,  and  placidly  smoked 
his  little  black  pipe  while  the  don  made  answer. 

"  Already  I  find  that  I  have  done  well  to  choose  an 
Americano  for  my  majordomo,"  Don  Andres  observed, 
a  smile  in  his  eyes.  "  With  a  few  more  such  as  this 
great  hombre,  who  is  firm  and  peaceful  together,  I 
should  find  my  days  full  of  trouble  with  a  hot-blooded 
Manuel  to  deal  with  them.  But  with  you,  Sefior,  I  have 
no  fear.  Something  there  is  in  the  face  of  this  Sefior 
Seem'son  which  pleases  me ;  we  shall  be  friends,  and 
he  shall  stay  and  plant  his  garden  and  build  his  house 
where  it  pleases  him  to  do.  You  may  tell  him  that  I 


THE  FINEST  WOMAN        137 

say  so,  and  that  I  shall  rely  upon  his  honor  to  pay  me 
for  the  land  a  reasonable  price  when  the  American 
government  places  its  seal  beside  the  seal  on  his 
Majesty's  grant.  For  that  it  will  be  done  I  am  very 
sure.  The  land  is  mine,  even  though  I  have  no  tablet 
of  stone  to  proclaim  from  the  Creator  my  right  to  call 
it  so.  But  he  shall  have  his  home  if  he  is  honest,  with 
out  swimming  across  the  ocean  to  find  it." 

"  Wall,  now,  that 's  fair  enough  fer  anybody.  Hey, 
Mary!  Come  on  out  and  git  acquainted  with  yer 
neighbor's  girl.  Likely-lookin'  young  woman,"  he 
passed  judgment,  nodding  towards  Teresita.  "  Skittish, 
mebby  —  young  blood  most  generally  is,  when  there  's 
any  ginger  in  it.  What 's  yer  name,  mister  ?  I  want 
yuh  all  to  meet  the  finest  little  woman  in  the  world  — 
Mrs.  Jerry  Simpson.  We  Ve  pulled  in  the  harness  to 
gether  fer  twelve  year,  now,  so  I  guess  I  know! 
Come  out,  Mary." 

She  came  shyly  from  the  makeshift  tent,  her  dingy 
brown  sunbonnet  in  her  hand,  and  the  redoubtable  Tige 
walking  close  to  her  shapeless  brown  skirt.  And  al 
though  her  face  was  tanned  nearly  as  brown  as  her 
bonnet,  with  the  desert  sun  and  desert  winds  of  that 
long,  weary  journey  in  search  of  a  home,  it  was  as 
delicately  modeled  as  that  of  the  girl  who  rode  for 
ward  to  greet  her;  and  sweet  with  the  sweetness  of 


138  THE    GRINGOS 

soul  which  made  that  big  man  worship  her.  Her  hair 
was  a  soft  gold  such  as  one  sees  sometimes  upon  the 
head  of  a  child  or  in  the  pictures  of  angels,  and  it  was 
cut  short  and  curled  in  distracting  little  rings  about 
her  head,  and  framed  softly  her  smooth  forehead.  Her 
eyes  were  brown  and  soft  and  wistful  —  with  a  twinkle 
at  the  corners,  nevertheless,  which  brightened  them 
wonderfully;  and  although  her  mouth  drooped  slightly 
with  the  same  wistfulness,  a  little  smile  lurked  there 
also,  as  though  her  life  had  been  spent  largely  in  long 
ing  for  the  unattainable,  and  in  laughing  at  herself 
because  she  knew  the  futility  of  the  longing. 

"  I  hope  you  've  taken  a  good  look  at  Jerry's  face/' 
she  said,  "  and  seen  that  he  ain't  half  as  bad  as  he  tries 
to  make  out.  Jerry  '11  make  a  fine  neighbor  for  any 
man  if  he  's  let  be ;  and  we  do  want  a  home  of  our  own, 
awful  bad !  We  was  ten  years  paying  for  a  little  farm 
back  in  Illinois,  and  then  we  lost  it  at  the  last  minute 
because  there  was  something  wrong  with  the  deed,  and 
we  did  n't  have  any  money  to  go  to  law  about  it.  Jerry 
did  n't  tell  you  that ;  but  it 's  that  makes  him  talk  kinda 
bitter,  sometimes.  He  was  terrible  disappointed  about 
losing  the  farm.  And  when  we  took  what  we  had  left 
and  struck  out,  he  said  he  was  going  as  far  as  he  could 
get  and  be  away  from  lawyers  and  law,  and  make  us  a 
home  on  land  that  nobody  but  the  Lord  laid  any  claim  to. 


Mrs.  Jerry  took  the  seiiorita's  hand  and  smiled  up 
at  her.     Page  139. 


THE  FINEST  WOMAN        189 

So  he  picked  out  this  place;  and  then  along  come  that 
Spaniard  and  a  lot  of  fellows  with  him  and  said  we 
had  n't  no  right  here.  So  I  hope  you  won't  blame 
Jerry  for  being  a  little  mite  uppish.  That  Spaniard 
got  him  kinda  wrought  up." 

Her  voice  was  as  soft  as  her  eyes,  and  winsome  as 
her  wistful  little  smile.  She  had  those  four  smiling 
with  her  in  sheer  sympathy  before  she  had  spoken  three 
sentences;  and  the  two  who  did  not  understand  her 
words  smiled  just  as  sympathetically  as  the  two  who 
knew  what  she  was  talking  about. 

"  Tell  the  senora  I  am  sorry,  and  she  shall  stay ; 
and  my  mother  will  give  her  hens  and  a  bottle  of  her 
very  good  medicine,  which  Manuel  drinks  so  greedily," 
Teresita  cried,  when  Dade  told  her  what  the  woman 
said,  and  leaned  impulsively  and  held  out  her  hand. 
"  I  would  do  as  the  Americanos  do,  and  shake  the  hands 
for  a  new  friendship,"  she  explained,  blushing  a  little. 
"  We  shall  be  friends.  Senor  Hunter,  tell  the  pretty 
senora  that  I  say  we  shall  be  friends.  Amiga  mia,  I 
shall  call  her,  and  I  shall  learn  the  Americano  language, 
that  we  may  talk  together." 

She  meant  every  word  of  it,  Dade  knew;  and  with 
a  troublesome,  squeezed  feeling  in  his  throat  he  in 
terpreted  her  speech  with  painstaking  exactness. 

Mrs.  Jerry  took  the  senorita's  hand  and  smiled  up 


140  THE    GRINGOS 

a 
at  her  with  the  brightness  of  tears  in  her  eyes.    "  You  Ve 

got  lots  of  friends,  honey,"  she  said  simply,  "  and  I  Ve 
left  all  of  mine  so  far  behind  me  they  might  as  well 
be  dead,  as  far  as  ever  seeing  'em  again  is  concerned; 
so  it  ?s  like  finding  gold  to  find  a  woman  friend  away 
out  here.  I  ain't  casting  no  reflections  on  Jerry,  mind," 
she  hastened  to  warn  them,  blinking  the  tears  away  and 
leaving  the  twinkle  in  full  possession ;  "  but  good  as  he 
is,  and  satisfying  as  his  company  is,  he  ain't  a  woman. 
And,  my  dear,  a  woman  does  get  awful  hungry  some 
times  for  woman-talk !  " 

"  Santa  Maria !  that  must  be  true.  She  shall  come 
and  let  my  mother  be  her  friend  also.  I  will  send  a 
carriage,  or  if  she  can  ride  —  ask  the  big  seiior  if  he  has 
no  horses !  " 

Jack  it  was  who  took  up  right  willingly  the  burden 
of  translation,  for  the  pure  pleasure  of  repeating  the 
senorita's  words  and  doing  her  a  service;  and  Dade 
dropped  back  beside  the  don,  where  he  thought  he  be 
longed,  and  stayed  there. 

"  Wall,  I  ain't  got  any  horses,  but  I  got  two  of  the 
derndest  mules  you  ever  seen,  mister.  Moll  and  Poll 's 
good  as  any  mustang  in  this  valley.  Mary  and  me  can 
ride  'em  anywheres ;  that 's  why  I  brung  'em  along, 
to  ride  in  case  we  had  to  eat  the  cattle." 

"  Then  they  must  surely  ride  Moll  and  Poll  to  visit 


THE  FINEST  WOMAN        141 

my  mother !  "  the  senorita  declared  with  her  customary 
decisiveness.  "  Padre  mio !  " 

Obediently  the  don  accepted  the  responsibility  laid 
upon  him  by  his  sole-born  who  ruled  him  without  ques 
tion,  and  made  official  the  invitation.  It  was  not  what 
he  had  expected  to  do;  he  was  not  quite  sure  that  it 
was  what  he  wanted  to  do;  but  he  did  it,  and  did  it 
with  the  courtliness  which  would  have  flowered  his  in 
vitation  to  the  governor  to  honor  his  poor  household 
by  his  presence;  he  did  it  because  his  daughter  had 
glanced  at  him  and  said  "  My  father  ?  "  in  a  certain 
tone  which  he  knew  well. 

Something  else  was  done,  which  no  one  had  expected 
to  do  when  the  four  galloped  up  to  the  trespassers. 
Jack  and  Dade  dismounted  and  helped  Jerry  unload 
the  logs  from  the  wagon,  for  one  thing;  while  Teresita 
inspected  Mrs.  Jerry's  ingenious  domestic  makeshifts 
and  managed  somehow,  with  Mrs.  Jerry's  help,  to  make 
the  bond  of  mutual  liking  serve  very  well  in  the  place 
of  intelligible  speech.  For  another,  the  don  fairly  com 
mitted  himself  to  the  promise  of  a  peon  or  two  to  help 
in  the  further  devastation  of  the  trees  upon  the  Picardo 
mountain  slope  behind  the  little,  natural  meadow,  which 
Jerry  Simpson  had  so  calmly  appropriated  to  his  own 
use. 

"  He  is  honest,"  Don  Andres  asserted  more  than  once 


142  THE    GRINGOS 

on  the  ride  home,  perhaps  in  self-justification  for  his 
soft  dealing.  "  He  is  honest ;  and  when  he  sees  that  the 
land  is  mine,  he  will  pay ;  or  if  he  does  not  pay,  he  will 
go  —  and  tilled  acres  and  a  cabin  will  not  harm  me. 
Valencia,  if  he  marries  the  daughter  of  Carlos  (as  the 
scnora  says  will  come  to  pass),  will  be  glad  to  have  a 
cabin  to  live  in  apart  from  the  mother  of  his  wife, 
who  is  a  shrew  and  will  be  disquieting  in  any  man's 
household.  Therefore,  Senor  Hunter,  you  may  order 
the  peons  to  assist  the  big  hombre  and  his  beautiful 
sefiora,  that  they  may  soon  have  a  hut  to  shelter  them 
from  the  rains.  It  is  not  good  to  see  so  gentle  a 
woman  endure  hardship  within  my  boundary.  Many 
tules,  they  will  need,"  he  added  after  a  minute,  "  and 
it  is  unlikely  that  the  Senor  Seem'son  understands  the 
making  of  a  thatch.  Diego  and  Juan  are  skillful ;  and 
the  tules  they  lay  upon  a  roof  will  let  no  drop  of  rain 
fall  within  the  room.  Order  them  to  assist." 

"  I  shall  tell  Margarita  to  bake  many  little  cakes," 
cried  Teresita,  riding  up  between  her  father  and  Dade, 
that  she  might  assist  in  the  planning.  "  And  madre 
mia  will  give  me  coffee  and  sugar  for  the  pretty  senora. 
So  soft  is  her  voice,  like  one  of  my  pigeons !  And  her 
hair  is  more  beautiful  than  the  golden  hair  of  our 
Blessed  Lady  at  Dolores.  Oh,  if  the  Blessed  Virgin 
would  make  me  as  beautiful  as  she,  and  as  gentle,  I 


THE   FINEST  WOMAN        143 

should  —  I  should  finish  the  altar  cloth  immediately, 
which  I  began  two  years  ago !  " 

"  Thou  art  well  enough  as  thou  art,"  comforted  her 
father,  trying  to  hide  his  pride  in  her  under  frowning 
brows,  and  to  sterilize  the  praise  with  a  tone  of  be- 
littlement. 

"  I  love  that  pretty  seiiora,"  sighed  Teresita,  turn 
ing  in  the  saddle  to  glance  wistfully  back  at  the  meager 
little  camp.  "  She  shall  have  the  black  puppy  Rosa  gave 
me  when  last  I  was  at  the  Mission  San  Jose.  "  But 
I  hope,"  she  added  plaintively,  like  the  child  she  was 
at  heart,  "  she  will  make  that  big,  ugly  beast  they 
called  Tige  be  kind  to  her ;  and  the  milk  must  be  warm 
to  the  finger  when  Chico  is  fed.  To-night,  Seiior  Allen, 
you  shall  teach  me  Americano  words  that  I  may  say  to 
the  senora  what  is  necessary,  for  the  happiness  of  my 
black  puppy.  I  must  learn  to  say  that  her  name  is 
Chico,  and  that  the  milk  must  be  wTarm  to  the  finger, 
and  that  the  big  dog  must  be  kind." 


CHAPTEK  XI 

AN    ILL    WIND 

A  WIND  rose  in  the  night,  blowing  straight  out 
of  the  north ;  a  wind  so  chill  that  the  sefiora  un 
packed  extra  blankets  and  distributed  them  lavishly 
amongst  the  beds  of  her  household,  and  the  oldest  peon 
at  the  hacienda  (who  was  Gustavo  and  a  prophet  more 
infallible  than  Elijah)  stared  into  the  heavens  until 
his  neck  went  lame;  and  predicted  much  cold,  so  that 
the  frost  would  surely  kill  the  fruit  blossoms  on  the 
slope  behind  the  house;  and  after  that  much  rain. 

Don  Andres,  believing  him  implicitly,  repeated  the 
warning  to  Dade;  and  Dade,  because  that  was  now  his 
business,  rode  here  and  there,  giving  orders  to  the 
peons  and  making  sure  that  all  would  be  snug  when 
the  storm  broke. 

The  Sefiorita  Teresa,  bethinking  her  of  the  "  pretty 
senora"  who  would  have  scant  shelter  in  that  canvas- 
topped  wagon-box,  even  though  it  had  been  set  under 
the  thickest  branches  of  a  great  live  oak,  called  guard 
edly  to  Diego  who  was  passing,  and  ordered  Tejon,  her 


AN    ILL    WIND  145 

swiftest  little  mustang,  saddled  and  held  ready  for  her 
behind  the  last  hut,  where  it  could  not  be  seen  from  the 
house. 

Tejon,  so  named  by  his  mistress  because  he  was  gray 
like  a  badger,  hated  wind,  which  the  senorita  knew  well. 
Also,  when  the  hatred  grew  into  rebellion,  it  needed  a 
strong  hand  indeed  to  control  him,  if  the  mood  seized 
him  to  run.  But  the  senorita  was  in  a  perverse  mood, 
and  none  but  Tejon  would  she  ride ;  even  though  —  or 
perhaps  because  —  she  knew  that  his  temper  would  be 
uncertain. 

She  wanted  to  beg  the  pretty  Senora  Simpson  to 
come  and  stay  with  them  until  the  weather  cleared  and 
the  cabin  was  finished.  But  more  than  that  she  wanted 
to  punish  Seiior  Jack  Allen  for  laughing  when  she  tried 
to  speak  the  Americano  sentence  he  had  taught  her  the 
night  before,  and  got  it  all  backwards.  Sefior  Jack 
would  be  frightened,  perhaps,  when  he  learned  that  she 
had  ridden  away  alone  upon  Tejon ;  he  would  ride  after 
her  —  perhaps.  And  she  would  not  talk  to  him  when 
he  found  her,  but  would  be  absolutely  implacable  in 
her  displeasure,  so  that  he  would  be  speedily  reduced 
to  the  most  abject  humility. 

Diego,  when  she  ran  stealthily  across  the  patio,  her 
riding-habit  flapping  about  her  feet  in  the  wind,  looked 
at  her  uneasily  as  if  he  would  like  to  remonstrate;  but 


146  THE    GRINGOS 

being  a  mere  peon,  he  bent  silently  and  held  his  calloused, 
brown  palm  for  the  seiiorita's  foot;  reverently  straight 
ened  the  flapping  skirt  when  she  was  mounted,  and  sent 
a  hasty  prayer  to  whatever  saint  might  be  counted  upon 
to  watch  most  carefully  over  a  foolish  little  Spanish 
girl. 

"  An  evil  spirit  is  in  the  caballo  to-day,"  Diego  fi 
nally  ventured  to  inform  his  mistress  gravely.  "  For  a 
week  he  has  not  felt  the  weight  of  saddle,  and  he  loves 
not  the  trees  which  sway  and  sing,  or  the  wind  whistling 
in  his  ears." 

"  And  for  that  he  pleases  me  much,"  retorted  the 
sefiorita,  and  touched  Tejon  with  her  spurred  heel,  so 
that  he  came  near  upsetting  Diego  with  the  lunge  he 
gave. 

When  the  peon  recovered  his  balance,  he  stood  braced 
against  the  wind,  and  with  both  hands  held  his  hat 
upon  his  head  while  he  watched  her  flying  down  the 
slope  and  out  of  sight  amongst  the  trees.  ~No  girl 
in  all  the  valley  rode  better  than  the  Senorita  Teresa 
Picardo,  and  Diego  knew  it  well  and  boasted  of  it  to 
the  peons  of  other  hacendados;  but  for  all  that  he  was 
ill-at-ease,  and  when,  ten  minutes  later,  he  came  upon 
Valencia  at  the  stable,  he  told  him  of  the  madness  of 
the  senorita. 

"  Tejon  she  would  ride,  and  none  other ;  and  to-day 


AN    ILL    WIND  147 

he  is  a  devil.  Twice  he  would  have  bitten  my  shoulder 
while  I  was  saddling,  and  that  is  the  sign  that  his  heart 
is  full  of  wickedness.  Me,  I  would  have  put  the  freno 
Chilene  (Chilian  bit)  in  his  mouth  —  but  that  would 
start  him  bucking;  for  he  hates  it  because  then  he  can 
not  run." 

Valencia,  a  little  later,  met  the  new  majordomo  and 
repeated  what  Diego  had  said;  and  Dade,  catching  a 
little  of  the  uneasiness  and  yet  not  wanting  to  frighten 
the  girl's  father  with  the  tale,  made  it  his  immediate 
business  to  find  Jack  and  tell  him  that  Teresita  had 
ridden  away  alone  upon  a  horse  that  neither  Diego  nor 
Valencia  considered  safe. 

Jack,  at  first  declaring  that  he  would  n't  go  where 
he  plainly  was  not  wanted,  at  the  end  of  an  uncomfort 
able  half-hour  borrowed  Surry,  because  he  was  fleet 
as  any  mustang  in  the  valley,  and  rode  after  her. 

In  this  wise  did  circumstances  and  Jack  obey  the 
piqued  desire  of  the  sefiorita. 

After  the  first  headlong  half  mile,  Tejon  became  the 
perfect  little  saddle-pony  which  fair  weather  found 
him;  and  Teresita,  cheated  of  her  battle  of  wills  and 
yet  too  honest  to  provoke  him  deliberately,  began  to 
think  a  little  less  of  her  own  whims  and  more  of  the 
Seiiora  Simpson,  housed  miserably  beneath  the  canvas 
covering  of  the  prairie  schooner. 


148  THE    GRINGOS 

She  found  Mrs.  Jerry  sitting  inside,  with  a  patch 
work  quilt  over  her  shoulders,  her  eyes  holding  a  shade 
more  of  wistfulness  and  less  twinkle,  perhaps,  but  with 
her  lips  quite  ready  to  smile  upon  her  visitor.  Teresita 
sat  down  upon  a  box  and  curiously  watched  the  pretty 
seiiora  try  to  make  a  small,  triangular  piece  of  cloth 
cover  a  large,  irregular  hole  in  the  elbow  of  the  big 
serior's  coat  sleeve.  Sometimes,  when  she  turned  it  so, 
the  hole  was  nearly  covered  —  except  that  there  was 
the  frayed  rent  at  the  bottom  still  grinning  maliciously 
up  at  the  mender. 

"  '  Patch  beside  patch  is  neighborly,  but  patch  upon 
patch  is  beggarly ! '  "  quoted  Mrs.  Jerry,  at  the  moment 
forgetting  that  the  girl  could  not  understand. 

Whereupon  Teresita  bethought  her  of  her  last  night's 
lesson,  and  replied  slowly  and  solemnly :  "  My  dear 
Mrs.  Seem'son,  how  —  do  —  you  —  do?" 

"  Mrs.  Seem'son,"  realizing  the  underlying  friendli 
ness  of  the  carefully  enunciated  greeting,  flushed  with 
pleasure  and  for  a  minute  forgot  all  about  the  patch 
problem. 

"  Why,  honey,  you  Ve  been  learnin'  English  jest  so  's 
you  can  talk  to  me !  "  She  leaned  and  kissed  the  girl 
where  the  red  blood  of  youth  dyed  brightest  the  Latin 
duskiness  of  the  cheek.  "  I  wish  ?t  you  could  say  some 
more.  Can't  you  ?  " 


AN    ILL    WIND  149 

Teresita  could ;  but  her  further  store  of  American 
words  related  chiefly  to  the  diet  and  general  well-being 
of  one  very  small  and  very  black  pup,  which  was  at  that 
moment  sleeping  luxuriously  in  the  chimney  corner  at 
home;  and  without  the  pup  the  words  would  be  no 
more  than  parrot-chattering.  So  the  seiiorita  shook  her 
head  and  smiled,  and  Mrs.  Jerry  went  back  to  the 
problem  of  the  small  patch  and  the  large  hole. 

Hampered  thus  by  having  no  common  language  be 
tween  them,  Teresita  failed  absolutely  to  accomplish 
her  mission. 

Mrs.  Jerry,  hazily  guessing  at  the  invitation  without 
realizing  any  urgent  need  of  immediate  acceptance, 
shook  her  head  and  pointed  to  her  pitifully  few  house 
hold  appurtenances,  and  tried  to  make  it  plain  that  she 
had  duties  which  kept  her  there  in  the  little  camp 
which  she  pathetically  called  home. 

Teresita  gathered  that  the  pretty  senora  did  not  wish 
to  leave  that  great,  gaunt  hombre  who  was  her  hus 
band.  So,  when  she  could  no  longer  conceal  her  shiver- 
ings,  and  having  no  hope  that  the  big  senor  would 
understand  her  any  better  when  he  returned  with  the 
load  of  logs  he  and  the  peons  were  after,  she  rose 
and  prepared  to  depart.  Surely  the  Senor  Jack,  if  he 
were  going  to  follow,  would  by  this  time  be  coming, 
and  the  hope  rather  hastened  her  adieu. 


150  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Adios,  amiga  mia,"  she  said,  her  eyes  innocently 
turning  from  the  Senora  Simpson  to  scan  stealthily  the 
northern  slope. 

"  Good-by,  honey.  Come  again  and  see  me.  Jerry 
knows  a  few  Spanish  words,  and  I  '11  make  him  learn 
'em  to  me  so  I  can  talk  a  little  of  your  kind,  next  time. 
And  tell  your  mother  I  'in  obliged  for  the  wine ;  and 
them  dried  peaches  tasted  fine,  after  being  without  so 
long.  Shan't  I  hold  your  horse  while  you  git  on? 
Seems  to  me  he  's  pretty  frisky  for  a  girl  to  be  riding ; 
but  I  guess  you  're  equal  to  him !  " 

Teresita  smiled  vaguely.  She  had  no  idea  of  what 
the  woman  was  saying,  and  she  was  beginning  to  wish 
that  she  had  not  tried  in  just  this  way  to  punish  the 
Senor  Jack;  if  he  were  here  now,  he  could  make  the 
Senora  Simpson  understand  that  the  storm  would  be  a 
very  dreadful  one  —  else  Gustavo  was  a  liar,  and  whom 
should  one  believe? 

Even  while  she  was  coaxing  Tejon  alongside  a  log 
and  persuading  him  to  stand  so  until  she  was  in  the 
saddle,  she  was  generously  forswearing  Senor  Jack's 
punishment  that  she  might  serve  the  pretty  senora  who 
had  Tejon  by  the  bit  and  was  talking  to  him  softly  in 
words  he  had  never  heard  before  in  his  life.  She  re 
solved  that  if  she  met  Senor  Jack,  she  would  ask  him 
to  come  back  with  her  and  explain  to  the  senora  about 


AN    ILL    WIND  151 

the  cold  and  the  rain,  and  urge  her  to  accept  the  hos 
pitality  of  her  neighbors. 

For  that  reason  she  looked  more  anxiously  than  be 
fore  for  some  sign  of  him  riding  towards  her  through 
the  fields  of  flowering  mustard  that  heaved  in  the  wind 
like  the  waves  on  some  strange,  lemon-colored  sea  toss 
ing  between  high,  green  islands  of  oak  and  willow. 
Surely  that  fool  Diego  would  never  keep  the  still 
tongue!  He  would  tell,  when  some  one  missed  her. 
If  he  did  not,  or  if  Senor  Allen  was  an  obstinate  pig 
of  a  man  and  would  not  come,  then  she  would  tell 
Senor  Hunter,  who  was  always  so  kind,  though  not  so 
handsome  as  the  other,  perhaps. 

Senor  Hunter's  eyes  were  brown  —  and  she  had 
looked  into  brown  eyes  all  her  life.  But  the  blue! 
The  blue  eyes  that  could  so  quickly  change  lighter  or 
darker  that  they  bewildered  one;  and  could  smile,  or 
light  flames  that  could  wither  the  soul  of  one. 

Even  the  best  rider  among  the  Spanish  girls  as  far 
south  as  Paso  Robles  should  not  meditate  so  deeply 
upon  the  color  of  a  senor's  eyes  that  she  forgets  the 
horse  she  is  riding,  especially  when  the  horse  is  Tejon, 
whose  heart  is  full  of  wickedness. 

A  coyote,  stalking  the  new-made  nest  of  a  quail, 
leaped  out  of  the  mustard  and  gave  Tejon  the  excuse 
he  wanted,  and  the  dreaming  seiiorita  was  nearly  un- 


152  THE    GRINGOS 

seated  when  he  ducked  and  whirled  in  his  tracks.  He 
ran,  and  she  could  not  stop  him,  pull  hard  as  she  might. 
If  he  had  only  run  towards  home!  But  instead,  he 
ran  down  the  valley,  because  then  he  need  not  face  the 
wind ;  and  he  tried  to  outstrip  the  wind  as  he  went. 

It  was  when  they  topped  a  low  knoll  and  darted 
under  the  wide,  writhing  branches  of  a  live  oak,  that 
Jack  glimpsed  them  and  gave  chase ;  and  his  heart  for 
got  to  beat  until  he  saw  them  in  the  open  beyond,  and 
knew  that  she  had  not  been  swept  from  the  saddle  by 
a  low  branch.  He  leaned  lower  over  Surry's  neck  and 
felt  gratefully  the  instant  response  of  the  horse ;  he  had 
thought  that  Surry  was  running  his  best  on  such  un 
even  ground;  but  even  a  horse  may  call  up  an  unsus 
pected  reserve  of  speed  or  endurance,  if  his  whole  heart 
is  given  to  the  service  of  his  master;  there  was  a  per 
ceptible  quickening  and  a  lengthening  of  stride,  and 
Jack  knew  then  that  Surry  could  do  no  more  and  keep 
his  feet.  Indeed,  if  he  held  that  pace  for  long  without 
stumbling,  he  would  prove  himself  a  more  remarkable 
horse  than  even  Dade  declared  him  to  be. 

He  hoped  to  overtake  the  girl  soon,  for  in  the 
glimpses  he  got  of  her  now  and  then,  as  she  flew  across 
an  open  space,  he  saw  that  she  was  putting  her  whole 
weight  upon  the  reins;  and  that  should  make  a  suffi 
cient  handicap  to  the  gray  to  wipe  out  the  three-hun- 


AN    ILL    WIND  153 

dred-yard  distance  between  them.  It  did  not  seem 
possible  that  Tejon  could  be  running  as  fast  as  Surry; 
and  yet,  after  a  half-mile  or  so  of  that  killing  pace, 
Jack  could  not  see  that  he  was  gaining  much.  Perhaps 
it  was  his  anxiety  to  overtake  her  that  made  the  chase 
seem  interminable;  for  presently  they  emerged  upon 
the  highway  which  led  south  to  Santa  Clara  and  so  on 
down  the  valley,  and  he  saw,  on  a  straight,  open  stretch, 
that  he  was  much  nearer ;  so  near  he  could  see  that  her 
hair  was  down  and  blowing  about  her  face  in  a  way 
that  must  have  blinded  her  at  times. 

Tejon  showed  no  disposition  to  stop,  however;  and 
Jack,  bethinking  him  of  the  trick  Bade  had  played 
upon  the  Vigilantes  with  his  riata,  threw  off  the  loop 
that  held  it.  If  he  could  get  close  enough,  he  meant  to 
lasso  the  horse  unless  she  managed  by  that  time  to  get 
him  under  control.  Now  that  they  were  in  the  road, 
Surry's  stride  was  more  even,  and  although  his  breath 
ing  was  becoming  audible,  he  held  his  pace  wonder 
fully  well  —  though  for  that  matter,  Tejon  also  seemed 
to  be  running  just  as  fast  as  at  first,  in  spite  of  that 
steady  pull ;  indeed,  Tejon  knew  the  trick  of  curling 
his  chin  down  close  to  his  chest,  so  that  the  girl's 
strength  upon  the  reins  was  as  nothing. 

Jack  was  almost  close  enough  to  make  it  seem  worth 
while  to  call  encouragement,  when  a  horseman  appeared 


154  THE    GRINGOS 

suddenly  from  behind  a  willow  clump  and  pulled  up  in 
astonishment,  as  he  saw  Teresita  bearing  down  upon 
him  like  a  small  whirlwind.  Whereupon  Tejon,  recog 
nizing  horse  and  rider  and  knowing  of  old  that  they 
meant  leisurely  riding  and  much  chatter,  with  little 
laughs  for  punctuation,  slowed  of  his  own  accord  and 
so  came  up  to  the  man  at  his  usual  easy  lope,  and 
stopped  before  him. 

So  quickly  did  it  happen  that  a  witness  might  easily 
have  sworn  in  perfect  good  faith  that  the  girl  was  flee 
ing  from  Jack  Allen  and  pulled  up  thankfully  when 
she  met  Jose  Pacheco.  One  could  not  blame  Jose  for 
so  interpreting  the  race,  or  for  the  anger  that  blazed 
in  his  eyes  for  the  pursuer,  even  while  his  lips  parted 
in  a  smile  at  the  coming  of  the  girl.  He  reined  in 
protectingly  between  her  and  the  approaching  Jack,  and 
spoke  soothingly  because  of  her  apparent  need. 

"  Be  not  frightened,  querida  mia.  Thou  art  safe 
with  me  —  and  the  accursed  gringo  will  get  a  lesson 
he  will  not  soon  forget,  for  daring  —  " 

Teresita,  looking  back,  discovered  Jack  behind  her. 
He  was  pulling  Surry  in,  now,  and  he  held  his  riata 
in  one  hand  as  though  he  were  ready  to  use  it  at  a 
moment's  notice,  and  blank  astonishment  was  on  his 
face.  That,  perhaps,  was  because  of  Jose  and  Jose's 
hostile  attitude,  standing  crosswise  of  the  trail  like 


AN    ILL    WIND  155 

that,  and  scowling  while  he  waited,  with  the  fingers  of 
his  right  hand  fumbling  inside  his  sash  —  for  his  dag 
ger,  perchance !  Teresita  smiled  wickedly,  in  apprecia 
tion  of  the  joke  on  them  both. 

"  Do  not  kill  him,  Jose,"  she  begged  caressingly. 
"  Truly  he  did  not  harm  me !  I  but  ran  from  him 
because  —  "  She  sent  a  smile  straight  to  the  leaping 
heart  of  Jose,  and  fumbled  with  her  tossing  banner  of 
hair,  and  turned  eyes  of  innocent  surprise  on  the  Senor 
Allen,  who  needed  some  punishment  —  and  was  in  fair 
way  to  get  it. 

"  What  is  the  pleasure  of  the  senor  ?  "  Jose's  voice 
was  as  smooth  and  as  keen  as  the  dagger-blade  under 
his  sash.  "  His  message  must  indeed  be  urgent  to  war 
rant  such  haste!  You  would  do  well  to  ride  back  as 
hastily  as  you  came;  for  truly  a  blind  man  could  see 
that  the  seiiorita  has  not  the  smallest  desire  for  your 
presence.  As  for  me  — "  As  for  him,  he  smiled  a 
sneer  and  a  threat  together. 

Jack  looked  to  the  girl  for  a  rebuke  of  the  man's 
insult;  but  Teresita's  head  was  drooped  and  tilted  side- 
wise  while  she  made  shift  to  braid  her  hair,  and  if  she 
heard  she  surely  did  not  seem  to  heed. 

"  As  for  you,  it  would  n't  be  a  bad  idea  for  you  to 
mind  your  own  business,"  Jack  retorted  bluntly.  "  The 
seiiorita  does  n't  need  any  interpreter.  The  senorita 


156  THE    GRINGOS 

is  perfectly  well-qualified  to  speak  for  herself.  She 
knows  —  " 

"  The  senori^a  knows  whom  she  can  trust  —  and  it 
is  not  a  low  dog  }f  a  gringo,  who  would  be  rotting  now 
with  a  neck  stretched  by  the  hangman's  rope,  if  he  had 
but  received  his  deserts;  murderer  of  five  men  in  one 
day,  men  of  his  own  race  at  that !  Gambler !  loafer  —  " 

At  the  press  of  silver  rowels  against  his  sides,  Surry 
lunged  forward.  But  Teresita's  horse  sidled  suddenly 
between  the  two  men. 

"  Seiior  Jack,  we  will  go  now,  if  this  wicked  caballo 
of  mine  will  consent  to  do  his  running  towards  home. 
Thank  you,  Jose,  for  stopping  him  for  me;  truly,  I 
think  he  was  minded  to  carry  me  to  Santa  Clara, 
whether  I  wished  to  go  or  not!  But  doubtless  Seiior 
Jack  would  have  overtaken  him  soon.  Adios,  Jose. 
Gracias,  amigo  mio ! "  Having  put  her  hair  into 
some  sort  of  confinement,  she  picked  up  her  reins 
and  smiled  at  Jose  and  then  at  Jack  in  a  way  to  tie 
the  tongues  of  them  both;  though  their  brows  were 
black  with  the  hatred  which  must,  if  they  met  again, 
bear  fruit  of  violence. 

Fifty  yards  away,  Teresita  looked  back  and  waved 
a  hand  at  the  gay  horseman  who  still  stood  fair  across 
the  highway  and  stared  blankly  after  them. 

"  Poor  Jose !  "  she  murmured  mischievously.    "  Very 


AN    ILL   WIND  157 

puzzled  and  unhappy  he  looks.  I  wonder  if  the  privi 
lege  of  tearing  you  in  pieces  would  not  bring  the  smile 
to  his  lips?  Seiior  Jack,  if  so  be  you  should  ever  de 
sire  death,  will  you  let  Jose  do  the  killing?  To  serve 
you  thus  would  give  him  great  pleasure,  I  am  sure." 

Jack,  usually  so  headlong  in  his  speech  and  actions, 
rode  a  moody  three  minutes  without  replying.  He  was 
not  a  fool,  even  though  he  was  rather  deeply  in  love; 
he  felt  in  her  that  feline  instinct  to  torment  which 
wise  men  believe  they  can  detect  in  all  women;  and 
angry  as  he  was  at  Jose's  deliberate  insults,  he  knew 
quite  well  in  his  heart  that  Teresita  had  purposely 
provoked  them. 

"  I  've  heard,"  he  said  at  last,  looking  at  her  with 
the  hard  glint  in  his  eyes  that  thrilled  her  pleasurably, 
"that  all  women  are  either  angels  or  devils.  I  believe 
you  're  both,  Senorita !  " 

Teresita  laughed  and  pouted  her  lips  at  him.  "  Such 
injustice!  Am  I  then  to  be  blamed  because  Jose  has 
a  bad  temper  and  speech  hotter  than  the  enchilladas  of 
Margarita  ?  I  could  love  him  for  his  rages !  When  the 
Blessed  Mary  sends  me  a  lover  —  "  She  looked  over 
her  shoulder  and  sighed  romantically,  hiding  the 
laughter  in  her  eyes  and  the  telltale  twist  of  her  lips 
as  best  she  could,  with  lashes  downcast  and  face 
averted. 


158  THE    GRINGOS 

Even  a  kitten  the  size  of  your  two  fists  knows  how  to 
paw  a  mouse,  even  though  it  lacks  the  appetite  for  de 
vouring  it  after  the  torture.  One  cannot  logically  blame 
Teresita.  She  merely  used  the  weapons  which  nature 
put  into  her  pink  palms. 


CHAPTEE  XII 

POTENTIAL   MOODS 

SO  engrossed  was  the  seiiorita  in  her  truly  feminine 
game  of  cat-and-mouse  that  she  quite  forgot  her 
worry  over  Mrs.  Jerry  until  she  was  in  her  own  room 
and  smiling  impishly  at  herself  in  the  mirror,  while 
she  hrushed  the  wind-tangles  from  her  hair  and  planned 
fresh  torment  for  the  Senor  Jack.  The  sefiorita  liked 
to  see  his  eyes  darken  and  then  light  with  the  flames 
that  thrilled  her;  and  it  was  exceedingly  pleasant  to 
know  that  she  could  produce  that  effect  almost  when 
ever  she  chose.  Also,  her  lips  would  curve  of  them 
selves  whenever  she  thought  of  Jose's  rage  and  subse 
quent  bafflement  when  she  rode  off  with  Senor  Jack; 
and  of  Senor  Jack's  black  looks  when  she  praised  Jose 
afterwards.  Truly  they  hated  each  other  very  much  — 
those  two  caballeros !  She  was  woman  enough  to  know 
the  reason  why,  and  to  find  a  great  deal  of  pleasure 
in  the  knowledge. 

Still  smiling,  she  lifted  a  heavy  lock  of  hair  to  the 
light   and   speculated   upon   the   mystery   of   coloring. 


160  THE    GRINGOS 

Black  it  was,  except  when  the  sun  lighted  it  and  brought 
a  sheen  that  was  almost  blue;  and  Senor  Jack's  was 
neither  red,  as  was  the  hair  of  the  big  Senor  Simpson, 
nor  brown  nor  gold,  but  a  tantalizing  mixture  of  all ; 
especially  where  it  waved  it  had  many  different  shades, 
just  as  the  light  gold  and  the  dark  of  the  pretty 
senora's  —  It  was  then  that  remembrance  came  to  the 
senorita  and  made  her  glance  a  self-accusing  one,  when 
she  looked  at  her  reflected  face. 

"  Selfish,  thoughtless  one  that  thou  art  to  forget  that 
sweet  senora !  "  she  cried.  And  for  punishment  she 
pulled  the  lock  of  hair  so  that  it  hurt  —  a  little.  "  I 
shall  ask  Senor  Hunter  if  he  will  not  send  the  carriage 
for  her  —  and  perhaps  I  shall  go  with  him  to  bring 
her;  though  truly  she  will  never  leave  the  big  hombre 
who  speaks  so  many  words  over  such  slight  matters.  I 
am  glad  I  did  not  yet  carry  Chico  to  live  there  in  that 
small  camp.  Till  the  house  is  finished,  he  shall  stay 
with  me.  Truly  the  storm  would  kill  him  if  he  were 
there.  But  perhaps  the  storm  will  not  be  so  great, 
after  all  —  not  so  great  as  is  the  storm  in  the  hearts 
of  those  two  who  met  and  would  have  fought,  had  I 
not  so  skillfully  prevented  it !  Santa  Maria,  I  truly 
must  have  been  inspired,  to  act  like  the  dove  with  the 
branch  of  the  olive  when  I  flew  between  them ;  and  the 
eyes  of  Jose  were  blazing ;  and  Senor  Jack  —  "  There 


POTENTIAL   MOODS          161 

came  the  smile  again,  and  the  dawdling  of  the  brush 
while  she  thought  of  those  two.  So  the  pretty  seiiora 
was  forgotten,  after  all,  and  left  to  shiver  over  her 
mending  in  the  prairie  schooner  because  Teresita  was 
a  spoiled  child  with  more  hearts  than  it  is  good  for  a 
girl  to  play  with. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  the  pretty  seiiora  was 
quite  accustomed  to  discomfort  in  varying  degrees,  and 
gave  less  thought  to  the  weather  than  did  the  more  ten 
derly  sheltered  women  of  the  valley,  so  that  no  harm 
came  of  the  f orgetf ulness ;  especially  since  the  storm 
fell  far  short  of  Gustavo's  expectations  and  caused  that 
particular  prophet  the  inconvenience  of  searching  his 
soul  and  the  heavens  for  an  explanation  of  the  sunshine 
that  reprehensibly  bathed  the  valley  next  day  in  its 
soft  glow. 

Also,  no  immediate  harm  resulted  from  the  rage  of 
the  two  caballeros,  although  not  even  the  most  partial 
judge  could  give  the  credit  to  Teresita's  "  olive  branch/' 
Chance  herself  stepped  in,  and  sent  a  heavy,  dead 
branch  crashing  down  from  a  swaying  oak  upon  the 
head  and  right  shoulder  of  Jose,  while  he  was  riding 
into  his  own  patio.  Whereupon  Jose,  who  had  been 
promising  himself  vengefully  that  he  would  send  Man 
uel  immediately  with  a  challenge  to  the  gringo  who  had 
dared  lift  eyes  to  the  Seiiorita  Teresa  Picardo,  instantly 


162  THE    GRINGOS 

forgot  both  his  love  and  his  hate  in  the  oblivion  that 
held  him  until  nightfall. 

After  that  his  stiffened  muscles  and  the  gash  in  his 
scalp  gave  him  time  for  meditation;  and  meditation 
counseled  patience.  The  gringo  would  doubtless  go 
to  the  rodeo,  and  he  would  meet  him  there  without  the 
spectacular  flavor  of  a  formal  challenge.  For  Jose  was 
a  decent  sort  of  a  fellow  and  had  no  desire  to  cheapen 
his  passion  or  cause  the  senorita  the  pain  of  public 
gossip.  It  was  that  same  quality  of  dignity  in  his  love 
that  had  restrained  him  from  seeking  a  deliberate  quar 
rel  with  Jack  before  now;  and  though  he  fumed  in 
wardly  while  his  outer  hurts  healed,  he  resolved  to  wait. 
The  rodeo  would  give  him  his  chance. 

Because  it  is  not  in  the  nature  of  the  normal  human 
to  keep  his  soul  always  under  the  lock  and  key  of  utter 
silence,  a  little  of  his  hate  and  a  little  of  his  hope 
seeped  into  the  ears  of  Manuel,  whose  poultices  of 
herbs  were  doing  their  work  upon  the  bruised  muscles 
of  Jose's  shoulder,  and  whose  epithets  against  the  two 
gringos  who  were  responsible  for  his  exile  from  the 
Picardo  hacienda  had  the  peculiar  flavor  of  absolute 
sincerity.  Frequently  he  cursed  them-  while  he  changed 
the  poultices;  and  Don  Jose,  listening  approvingly, 
added  now  and  then  a  curse  of  his  own,  and  a  vague 
prediction  of  how  he  meant  to  teach  the  blue-eyed  one 


POTENTIAL  MOODS          163 

a  lesson  which  he  would  weep  at  remembering  —  if 
he  lived  to  remember  anything. 

Manuel  did  not  mean  to  tattle;  he  merely  let  fall  a 
word  or  two  to  Valencia,  whom  he  met  occasionally  in 
the  open  and  accused  bitterly  of  having  a  treacherous 
friendship  for  the  gringos,  and  particularly  for  the 
blue-eyed  one. 

"  Because  that  mongrel  whose  hair  is  neither  red  nor 
yellow  nor  black  speaks  praise  to  you  of  your  skill, 
perchance,  and  because  he  makes  you  laugh  with  the 
foolish  tales  he  tells,  you  would  turn  against  your  own 
kind,  Valencia.  No  honest  Spaniard  can  be  a  friend 
of  the  gringos.  Of  the  patron/'  he  added  rather  sor 
rowfully,  "  I  do  not  speak,  for  truly  he  is  in  his  dotage 
and  therefore  not  to  be  judged  too  harshly.  But  you, 
Valencia  —  you  should  think  twice  before  you  choose 
a  gringo  for  your  friend;  a  gringo  who  speaks  fair  to 
the  father  that  he  may  cover  his  love-making  to  the 
daughter,  who  is  easily  fooled,  like  all  younglings. 

"  The  young  Don  Jose  will  deal  with  that  blue-eyed 
one,  Valencia.  Every  day  he  swears  it  by  all  the  saints. 
He  but  waits  for  the  rodeo  and  until  I  have  healed 
his  shoulder  —  and  then  you  shall  see !  There  will  be 
no  love-making  then  for  the  gringo.  Jose  will  have 
the  senorita  yet  for  his  bride,  just  as  the  saints  have 
desired  since  they  played  together  in  the  patio  and  I 


164  THE    GRINGOS 

watched  them  that  they  did  not  run  into  the  corrals 
to  be  kicked  in  the  head,  perchance,  by  the  mustangs 
we  had  there.  Jose,  I  tell  you,  has  loved  her  too  long 
to  stand  now  with  the  sombrero  in  hand  while  that 
arrogant  hombre  steals  her  away.  When  the  shoulder 
is  well  —  and  truly,  it  was  near  broken  —  and  when 
they  meet  at  the  rodeo,  then  you  shall  see  what  will 
happen  to  your  new  gringo  friend." 

Valencia  did  not  quarrel  with  Manuel.  He  merely 
listened  and  smiled  his  startlingly  sunny  smile,  and 
afterwards  repeated  Manuel's  words  almost  verbatim 
to  Jack.  Later,  he  recounted  as  much  as  he  considered 
politic  to  Don  Andres  himself,  just  to  show  how  bitter 
Manuel  had  become  and  how  unjust.  Valencia,  it  must 
be  admitted,  was  not  in  any  sense  working  in  the  in 
terests  of  peace.  He  looked  forward  with  a  good  deal 
of  eagerness  to  that  meeting  of  which  Manuel  prated. 
He  had  all  the  faith  of  your  true  hero-worshiper  in  his 
new  friend,  and  with  the  story  of  that  last  eventful 
day  which  Jack  had  spent  in  San  Francisco  to  build 
his  faith  upon,  he  confidently  expected  to  see  Jose  learn 
a  much-needed  lesson  in  humility  —  aye,  and  Manuel 
also. 

Since  even  the  bestrnatured  gossip  is  like  a  breeze  to 
fan  the  flames  of  dissension,  Don  Andres  spent  an 
anxious  hour  in  devising  a  plan  that  would  preserve 


POTENTIAL   MOODS          165 

the  peace  he  loved  better  even  than  prosperity.  While 
he  smoked  behind  the  passion  vines  on  the  veranda,  he 
thought  his  way  slowly  from  frowns  to  a  smile  of 
satisfaction,  and  finally  called  a  peon  scurrying  across 
the  patio  to  stand  humbly  before  him  while  he  gave 
a  calm  order.  His  majordomo  he  would  see,  as  speed 
ily  as  was  convenient  to  a  man  as  full  of  ranch  business 
as  Dade  Hunter  found  himself. 

Bade,  tired  and  hot  from  a  forenoon  in  the  saddle 
inspecting  the  horses  that  were  to  bear  the  burden  of 
rodeo  work,  presently  came  clanking  up  to  the  porch 
and  lifted  the  sombrero  off  his  sweat-dampened  fore 
head  thankfully,  when  the  shade  of  the  vines  enveloped 
him. 

The  eyes  of  the  don  dwelt  pleasedly  upon  the  tanned 
face  of  his  foreman.  More  and  more  Don  Andres  was 
coming  to  value  the  keen  common-sense  which  is  so  rare, 
and  which  distinguished  Dade's  character  almost  as 
much  as  did  the  kindliness  that  made  nearly  every  man 
his  friend. 

The  don  had  already  fallen  into  the  habit  of  present 
ing  his  orders  under  the  guise  of  ideas  that  needed  the 
confirmation  of  the  majordomo,  before  they  became 
definite  plans;  and  it  speaks  much  for  those  two  that 
neither  of  them  suspected  that  it  was  so.  Thus,  Don 
Andres'  solution  of  the  problem  of  preserving  peace 


166  THE    GRINGOS 

became  the  subject  for  a  conference  that  lasted  more 
than  an  hour.  The  don  was  absolutely  candid ;  so  can 
did  that  he  spoke  upon  a  delicate  subject,  and  one  that 
carried  a  sting  of  which  he  little  dreamed. 

"  One  factor  I  cannot  help  recognizing,"  he  said 
slowly.  "  I  am  not  blind,  nor  is  the  senora  blind,  to 
the  —  the  —  friendship  that  is  growing  between  Senor 
Jack  and  our  daughter.  We  had  hoped  —  but  we  have 
long  been  resolved  that  in  matters  of  the  heart,  our 
daughter  shall  choose  for  herself  so  long  as  she  does 
not  choose  one  altogether  unworthy;  which  we  do  not 
fear,  for  to  that  extent  we  can  protect  her  by  admitting 
to  our  friendship  only  those  in  whose  characters  we 
have  some  confidence.  Now  that  we  understand  each 
other  so  well,  amigo,  I  will  say  that  I  have  had  some 
correspondence  with  friends  in  San  Francisco,  who 
have  been  so  good  as  to  make  some  investigations  in  my 
behalf.  Their  Vigilance  Committee,"  he  said,  smiling, 
"  was  not  the  only  tribunal  which  weighed  evidence 
for  and  against  your  friend,  nor  was  it  the  only  vin 
dication  he  has  received. 

"  I  am  assured  that  in  the  trouble  which  brought 
him  to  my  house  he  played  the  part  of  an  honest  gen 
tleman  fighting  to  uphold  the  principles  which  all  hon 
est  men  espouse ;  and  while  he  is  hot-tempered  at  times, 
and  perhaps  more  thoughtless  than  we  could  wish,  I 


POTENTIAL  MOODS          167 

hear  no  ill  of  him  save  the  natural  follies  of  high- 
stomached  youth. 

"  Therefore  I  am  willing  to  abide  by  the  choice  of 
my  daughter,  whose  happiness  is  more  dear  to  her 
parents  than  any  hope  they  may  have  cherished  of  the 
welding  of  two  families  who  have  long  been  friends. 
I  myself/'  he  added  reminiscently,  "  fled  to  the  priest 
with  my  sweetheart  as  if  all  the  fiends  of  hell  pursued 
us,  because  her  parents  had  chosen  for  her  a  husband 
whom  she  could  not  love.  Since  we  know  the  pain  of 
choosing  between  a  parent's  wishes  and  the  call  of  the 
heart,  we  are  resolved  that  our  child  shall  be  left  free 
to  choose  for  herself.  Therefore,  I  think  our  plan  is 
a  wise  one ;  and  the  result  must  be  as  the  saints  decree." 

Dade,  because  he  was  engrossed  with  stifling  the  ache 
he  had  begun  to  think  was  dead  because  it  had  grown 
numb,  bowed  his  head  without  speaking  his  assent  and 
rose  to  his  feet. 

"  I  '11  tell  Jack,"  he  said,  as  he  started  for  the 
stables.  "  I  guess  he  '11  do  it,  all  right." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

BILL  WILSON  GOES  VISITING 

* '  T  DON'T  know  what  you  've  been  doing  to  Jose 
JL  Pacheco,  lately/'  was  Dade's  way  of  broaching 
the  subject,  "  but  Don  Andres  asked  me  to  l  persuade ' 
you  not  to  go  on  rodeo,  on  account  of  some  trouble 
between  you  and  Jose." 

"  He  wants  my  scalp,  is  all,"  Jack  explained  easily, 
picking  burrs  from  the  fringe  of  his  sash  —  burrs  he 
had  gotten  when  he  ran  a  race  with  Teresita  from  the 
farther  side  of  the  orchard  to  the  spring,  a  short  time 
before.  "  Valencia  told  me  —  and  he  got  it  from  Man 
uel  —  that  Jose  is  right  on  the  warpath.  If  it  was  n't 
for  his  being  laid  up  —  " 

"  Oh,  I  know.  You  'd  like  to  go  over  and  have  it 
out  with  him.  But  you  can't.  The  Pachecos  and  the 
Picardos  are  almost  like  one  family.  I  don't  suppose 
Jose  ever  stayed  away  from  here  so  long  since  he  was 
a  baby,  as  he  has  since  we  came.  It 's  bad  enough  to 
keep  old  friends  away,  without  mixing  up  a  quarrel. 
Have  you  seen  Jose  lately?  Don  Andres  seemed  to 


WILSON    GOES    VISITING     169 

think  so,  but  I  told  him  you  'd  have  said  something 
about  it  to  me  if  you  had." 

"  I  met  him  in  the  trail,  a  week  or  so  ago/'  Jack 
admitted  with  manifest  reluctance.  "  He  was  n't  overly 
friendly,  but  there  was  n't  any  real  trouble,  if  that 's 
what  you  're  afraid  of."  He  looked  sidelong  at  the 
other,  saw  the  hurt  in  Dade's  eyes  at  this  evidence  of 
the  constraint  growing  intangibly  between  them,  and 
laughed  defiantly. 

"  Upon  my  soul !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  one  would  think 
I  was  simple-minded,  the  way  you  act !  D'  you  think 
a  man  never  scowled  my  way  before  ?  D'  you  think 
I  'm  afraid  of  Jose  ?  D'  you  think  I  don't  know  enough 
to  take  care  of  myself  ?  What  the  devil  do  you  think  ? 
Can't  go  on  rodeo  —  you  're  afraid  I  might  get  hurt ! 
I  ain't  crazy  to  go,  for  that  matter;  but  I  don't  know 
as  I  relish  this  guardian-angel  stunt  you  're  playing. 
You  've  got  your  hands  full  without  that.  You  need  n't 
worry  about  me ;  I  've  managed  to  squeak  along  so  far 
without  getting  my  light  put  out  —  " 

"  By  being  a  tolerably  fair  shot,  yes,"  Bade  assented, 
his  face  hardening  a  little  under  the  injustice.  "  But 
since  I  'm  hired  to  look  after  Don  Andres'  interests, 
you  're  going  to  do  what  I  tell  you.  You  '11  stay  here 
and  boss  the  peons  while  I  'm  gone.  A  friendship  be 
tween  two  families  that  has  lasted  as  many  years  as 


170  THE    GRINGOS 

you  are  old,  ain't  going  to  be  busted  up  now,  if  I  can 
help  it.  It 's  strained  to  the  snapping-point  right  now, 
just  because  the  don  is  friendly  with  us  gringos.  Of 
course,  we  can't  help  that.  He  had  his  ideas  on  the 
subject  before  he  ever  saw  me  or  you.  Just  the  same, 
it 's  up  to  us  not  to  do  the  snapping ;  and  I  know  one 
gringo  that  's  going  to  behave  himself  if  I  have  to  take 
him  down  and  set  on  him !  " 

"  Whee-ee !  Somebody  else  is  hitting  the  war-post, 
if  I  know  the  signs !  "  Dade  stirred  to  anger  always 
tickled  Jack  immensely,  perhaps  because  of  its  very 
novelty,  and  restored  him  to  good  humor.  "  Have  it 
your  own  way,  then,  darn  you !  I  don't  want  to  go  on 
rodeo,  nohow." 

"  I  know  that,  all  right,"  snapped  Dade,  and  started 
off  with  his  hat  tilted  over  his  eyes.  ISTo  one,  he  re 
minded  himself,  would  want  to  spend  a.  month  or  so 
riding  the  range  when  he  could  stay  and  philander 
with  as  pretty  a  Spanish  girl  as  ever  played  the  game 
of  cat-and-mouse  with  a  man.  And  Jack  never  had  been 
the  kind  to  go  looking  for  trouble ;  truth  to  tell,  he  had 
never  found  it  necessary,  for  trouble  usually  flew  to 
meet  him  as  a  needle  flies  to  the  magnet. 

But,  a  wound  is  not  necessarily  a  deadly  one  because 
it  sends  excruciating  pain-signals  to  a  man's  heart  and 
brain ;  and  love  seldom  is  fatal,  however  painful  it  may 


WILSON    GOES    VISITING     171 

be.  Dade  was  slowly  recovering,  under  the  rather 
heroic  treatment  of  watching  his  successor  writhe  and 
exult  by  turns,  as  the  mood  of  the  maiden  might  decree. 
Strong  medicine,  that,  to  be  swallowed  with  a  wry  face, 
if  you  will ;  but  it  is  guaranteed  to  cure  if  the  sufferer 
is  not  a  mental  and  moral  weakling. 

Dade  was  quite  ready  to  go  out  to  rodeo  work;  in 
deed,  he  was  anxious  to  go.  But,  not  being  a  morbid 
young  man,  he  did  not  contemplate  carrying  a  broken 
heart  with  him.  Teresita  was  sweet  and  winsome  and 
maddeningly  alluring;  he  knew  it,  he  felt  it  still.  In 
deed,  he  was  made  to  realize  it  every  time  the  whim 
seized  her  to  punish  Jack  by  smiling  upon  Dade.  But 
she  was  as  capricious  as  beauty  usually  is,  and  he  knew 
that  also ;  and  after  being  used  several  times  as  a  club 
with  which  to  beat  Jack  into  proper  humility  (and  al 
ways  seeing  very  clearly  that  he  was  merely  the  club 
and  nothing  more)  he  had  almost  reached  the  point 
where  he  could  shrug  shoulders  philosophically  at  her 
coquetry;  and  what  is  better,  do  it  without  bitterness. 
At  least,  he  could  do  it  when  he  had  not  seen  her  for 
several  hours,  which  made  rodeo  time  a  relief  for  which 
he  was  grateful. 

What  hurt  him  most,  just  now,  was  the  constraint  be 
tween  him  and  Jack;  time  was  when  Jack  would  have 
told  him  immediately  of  any  unpleasant  meeting  with 


172  THE    GRINGOS 

Jose.  It  never  occurred  to  Dade  that  he  himself  had 
fostered  the  constraint  by  his  moody  aloofness  when  he 
was  fighting  the  first  jealous  resentment  he  had  ever 
felt  against  the  other  in  the  years  of  their  constant 
companionship.  An  unexpected  slap  on  the  shoulder 
almost  sent  him  headlong. 

"  Say,  old  man,  I  did  n't  mean  it,"  Jack  began  con 
tritely,  referring  perhaps  to  his  petulant  speech,  rather 
than  to  his  mode  of  making  his  presence  known. 
"  But  —  come  over  here  in  the  shade,  and  let 's  have  it 
out  once  for  all.  I  know  you  are  n't  stuck  up  over  being 
majordomo,  but  all  the  same  you  're  not  the  old  Dade, 
whether  you  know  it  or  not.  You  go  around  as  if  — 
well  —  you  know  how  you  Ve  been.  What  I  wanted 
to  say  is,  what 's  the  matter  ?  Is  it  anything  I  Ve  said 
or  done?" 

He  sat  down  on  the  stone  steps  of  a  hut  used  for  a 
storehouse  and  reached  moodily  for  his  smoking  ma 
terial.  "  I  know  I  did  n't  say  anything  about  running 
up  against  Jose  —  but  it  was  n't  anything  beyond  a 
few  words ;  and,  Dade,  you  Ve  been  almighty  hard  to 
talk  to  lately.  If  you  Ve  got  anything  against  me  —  " 

"  Oh,  quit  it !  "  Dade's  face  glowed  darkly  with  the 
blood  which  shame  brought  there.  He  opened  his  lips 
to  say  more,  took  a  long  breath  instead,  closed  them, 
and  looked  at  Jack  queerly.  For  one  reckless  moment 


WILSON    GOES   VISITING     173 

he  meditated  a  plunge  into  that  perfect  candor  which 
may  be  either  the  wisest  or  the  most  foolish  thing  a 
man  may  do  in  all  his  life. 

"  I  did  n't  think  you  noticed  it,"  he  said,  his  voice 
lowered  instinctively  because  of  the  temptation  to  tell 
the  truth,  and  his  glance  wandering  absently  over  to  the 
corral  opposite,  where  Surry  stood  waiting  placidly 
until  his  master  should  have  need  of  him.  "  There 
has  been  a  regular  brick  wall  between  us  lately.  I  felt 
it  myself  and  I  blamed  you  for  it.  I  —  " 

"  It  was  n't  my  building,"  Jack  cut  in  eagerly. 
"  It 's  you,  you  old  pirate.  Why,  you  'd  hardly  talk 
when  we  happened  to  be  alone,  and  when  I  tried  to  act 
as  if  nothing  was  wrong,  you  ?d  look  so  darned  sour  I 
just  had  to  close  my  sweet  lips  like  the  petals  of  a  —  " 

"  Cabbage,"  supplied  Dade  dryly,  and  placed  his 
cigarette  between  lips  that  twitched. 

Former  relations  having  thus  been  established  after 
their  own  fashion,  Dade  began  to  wonder  how  he  had 
ever  been  fool  enough  to  think  of  confessing  his  hurt. 
It  would  have  built  that  wall  higher  and  thicker;  he 
saw  it  now,  and  with  the  lighting  of  his  cigarette  he 
swung  back  to  a  more  normal  state  of  mind  than  he  had 
been  in  for  a  month. 

"  I  'm  going  up  toward  ManuePs  camp,  pretty  soon," 
he  observed  lazily,  eying  Jack  meditatively  through  a 


174  THE    GRINGOS 

thin  haze  of  smoke.  "  Want  to  take  a  ride  up  that 
way  and  let  the  sun  shine  on  your  nice  new  saddle  ? " 
Though  he  called  it  Manuel's  camp  from  force  of  habit, 
that  hot-blooded  gentleman  had  not  set  foot  over  its 
unhewn  doorsill  for  three  weeks  and  more. 

Jack  hesitated,  having  in  mind  the  possibility  of  per 
suading  Teresita  that  she  ought  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
Simpson  cabin  that  day  to  display  her  latest  accomplish 
ment  by  asking  in  real,  understandable  English,  how  the 
pup  was  getting  along ;  and  to  show  the  pretty  senora  the 
proper  way  to  pat  tortillas  out  thin  and  smooth,  as 
Margarita  had  been  bribed  to  teach  Teresita  herself 
to  do. 

"  Sure,  I  '11  go,"  he  responded,  before  the  hesitation 
had  become  pronounced,  and  managed  to  inject  a  good 
deal  of  his  old  heartiness  into  the  words. 

"  I  'm  going  to  have  the  cattle  pushed  down  this 
way,"  Dade  explained,  "  so  you  can  keep  an  eye  on  them 
from  here  and  we  won't  have  to  keep  up  that  camp. 
Since  they  made  Bill  Wilson  captain  of  the  Vigilantes, 
there  is  n't  quite  so  much  wholesale  stealing  as  there 
was,  anyway,  and  enough  vaqueros  went  with  Manuel 
so  I  '11  need  every  one  that 's  left.  I  '11  leave  you 
Pedro,  because  he  can't  do  any  hard  riding,  after  that 
fall  he  got  the  other  day.  The  two  of  you  can  keep 
the  cattle  pretty  well  down  this  way." 


WILSON    GOES    VISITING     175 

"  All  right.  Say,  what  was  it  made  you  act  so  glum 
since  we  came  down  here  ?  "  Jack,  as  occasionally  hap 
pens  with  a  friend,  was  not  content  to  forget  a  grievance 
while  the  cause  of  it  remained  clouded  with  mystery. 

"  Are  you  sore  over  that  trouble  I  had  in  town  ?  I 
know  how  you  feel  about  —  well,  about  killings ;  but, 
Bade,  I  had  to.  I  hate  it  myself.  You  need  n't  think 
I  like  the  idea,  just  because  I  have  n't  talked  about  it. 
A  fellow  feels  different,"  he  added  slowly,  "  when  it 's 
white  men.  When  we  fought  Injuns,  I  don't  believe 
it  worried  either  one  of  us  to  think  we  'd  killed  some. 
We  were  generally  glad  of  it.  But  these  others  —  they 
were  mean  enough  and  ornery  enough;  but  they  were 
humans.  I  was  glad  at  the  time,  but  that  wore  off. 
And  I  've  caught  you  looking  at  me  kinda  queer,  lately, 
as  if  you  hated  me,  almost.  You  ought  to  know  —  " 

"  I  know  you  're  always  going  off  half-cocked," 
chuckled  Bade,  quite  himself  again.  "  No,  now  you 
mention  it,  I  don't  like  the  idea  of  shooting  first  and 
finding  out  afterwards  what  it  was  all  about,  the  way 
so  many  fellows  have  got  in  the  habit  of  doing.  Guns 
are  all  right  in  their  place.  And  when  you  get  away 
out  where  the  law  does  n't  reach,  and  you  have  to  look 
out  for  yourself,  they  come  in  mighty  handy.  But  like 
every  other  kind  of  power,  most  men  don't  know  when 
and  how  to  use  the  gun  argument ;  and  they  make  more 


176  THE    GRINGOS 

trouble  than  they  settle,  half  the  time.  You  had  a  right 
to  shoot,  that  day,  and  shoot  to  kill.  Why,  did  n't  the 
Committee  investigate  you,  first  thing  after  Bill  was 
elected,  and  find  that  you  were  justified  ?  Did  n't  they 
wipe  your  reputation  clean  with  their  official  document, 
that  Bill  sent  you  a  copy  of?  No,  that  never  bothered 
me  at  all,  old  man.  You  want  to  forget  about  it.  You 
only  saved  the  Committee  the  trouble  of  hanging  'em, 
according  to  Bill.  Say,  Valencia  was  telling  me  yes 
terday  —  " 

"  Well,  what  the  dickens  did  ail  you,  then  ?  " 

Dade  threw  out  both  hands  helplessly  and  gave  a 
rueful  laugh.  "  You  're  harder  to  dodge  than  an  old 
cow  when  you  've  got  her  calf  on  the  saddle,"  he  com 
plained. 

"  The  trouble  was,"  he  explained  gravely,  "  that  these 
last  boots  of  mine  pinched  like  the  devil,  and  I  've  been 
mad  for  a  month  because  my  feet  are  half  a  size  big 
ger  than  yours.  I  wanted  to  stump  you  for  a  trade, 
only  I  knew  yours  would  cripple  me  up  worse  than 
these  did.  But  I  've  got  'em  broke  in  now,  so  I  can 
walk  without  tying  my  face  into  a  hard  knot.  There  's 
nothing  on  earth,"  he  declared  earnestly,  "  will  put  me 
on  the  fight  as  quick  as  a  pair  of  boots  that  don't  fit." 

Jack  paid  tribute  to  Dade's  mendaciousness  by  look 
ing  at  him  doubtfully,  not  quite  sure  whether  to  believe 


WILSON    GOES   VISITING     177 

him;  and  Dade  chuckled  again,  well  pleased  with  him 
self.  Even  when  Jack  finally  told  him  quite  frankly 
that  he  was  a  liar,  he  only  laughed  and  went  over  to 
where  Surry  stood  rolling  the  wheel  in  his  bit.  He 
would  not  answer  Jack's  chagrined  vilifications,  except 
with  an  occasional  amused  invitation  to  go  to  the  devil. 

So  the  wall  of  constraint  crumbled  to  the  nothing 
ness  out  of  which  it  was  built,  and  the  two  came  close 
together  again  in  that  perfect  companionship  that  may 
choose  whatever  medium  the  mood  of  man  may  direct, 
and  still  hold  taut  the  bond  of  their  friendship. 

While  they  rode  together  up  the  valley,  Jack  told  the 
details  of  the  encounter  with  Jose,  and  declared  that 
he  was  doing  all  that  even  Dade  could  demand  of  him 
by  resisting  the  desire  to  ride  down  to  Santa  Clara  and 
make  Jose  swallow  his  words. 

"  I  'd  have  done  it  anyway,  as  soon  as  I  brought 
Teresita  home/'  he  added,  with  a  hint  of  apology  for 
his  seeming  weakness.  "  But,  darn  it,  I  knew  all  the 
time  that  she  made  him  think  she  was  running  away 
from  me.  It  did  look  that  way,  when  she  stopped  as 
soon  as  she  met  him;  I  can't  swear  right  now  whether 
Tejon  was  running  away,  or  whether  he  was  just  simply 
running !  "  He  laughed  ruefully.  "  She  's  an  awful 
little  tease  —  just  plumb  full  of  the  old  Nick,  even 
if  she  does  look  as  innocent  and  as  meek  as  their  pic- 


178  THE    GRINGOS 

tures  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  She  had  us  both  guessing, 
let  me  tell  you!  He  was  pretty  blamed  insulting, 
though,  and  I  'd  have  licked  the  stuffing  out  of  him 
right  then  and  there,  if  she  had  n't  swung  in  and  played 
the  joker  the  way  she  did.  Made  Jose  look  as  if  he  'd 
been  doused  with  cold  water  —  and  him  breathing  fire 
and  brimstone  the  minute  before. 

"  It  was  funny,  I  reckon  —  to  Teresita ;  we  did  n't 
see  the  joke.  Every  time  I  bring  up  the  subject  of  that 
runaway,  she  laughs ;  but  she  won't  say  whether  it  was 
a  runaway,  no  matter  how  I  sneak  the  question  in.  So 
I  just  let  it  go,  seeing  Jose  is  laid  up  now;  only,  next 
time  I  bump  into  Jose  Pacheco,  he  's  going  to  act  pretty, 
or  there  's  liable  to  be  a  little  excitement. 

"  I  wish  I  had  my  pistols.  I  wrote  to  Bill  Wilson 
about  them  again,  the  other  day ;  if  he  does  n't  send  them 
down  pretty  soon,  I  'm  going  after  them."  He  stopped, 
his  attention  arrested  by  the  peculiar  behavior  of  a 
herd  of  a  hundred  or  more  cattle,  a  little  distance  from 
the  road. 

"  Now,  what  do  you  suppose  is  the  excitement  over 
there  ?  "  he  asked ;  and  for  answer  Dade  turned  from 
the  trail  to  investigate. 

"  Maybe  they  've  run  across  the  carcass  of  a  critter 
that 's  been  killed,"  he  hazarded,  "  though  this  is  pretty 
close  home  for  beef  thieves  to  get  in  their  work.  Most 


WILSON    GOES    VISITING     179 

of  the  stock  is  killed  north  and  east  of  Manuel's  camp." 

The  cattle,  moving  restlessly  about  and  jabbing  their 
long,  wicked  horns  at  any  animal  that  got  in  the  way, 
lifted  heads  to  stare  at  them  suspiciously,  before  they 
turned  tail  and  scampered  off  through  the  mustard. 
From  the  live  oak  under  which  they  had  been  gathered 
came  a  welcoming  shout,  and  the  two,  riding  under  the 
tent-like  branches,  craned  necks  in  astonishment. 

"  Hello,  Jack,"  spoke  the  voice  again.  "  I  'm  al 
mighty  glad  to  see  yuh !  Hello,  Dade,  how  are  yuh  ?  " 

"  Bill  Wilson,  by  thunder !  "  Jack's  tone  was  in 
credulous. 

Bill,  roosting  a  good  ten  feet  from  the  ground  on 
a  great,  horizontal  limb,  flicked  the  ashes  from  the 
cigar  he  was  smoking  and  grinned  down  at  them  un 
abashed. 

"  You  sure  took  your  time  about  getting  here/'  he 
remarked,  hitching  himself  into  a  more  comfortable 
posture  on  the  rough  bark.  "  I  've  been  praying  for 
you,  two  hours  and  more.  Say,  don't  ever  talk  to  me 
about  hungry  wolf-packs,  boys.  I  '11  take  'em  in  prefer 
ence  to  the  meek-eyed  cow-bossies,  any  time." 

They  besought  him  for  details  and  got  them  in  Bill's 
own  fashion  of  telling.  Briefly,  he  had  long  had  in 
mind  a  trip  down  to  the  Picardo  ranch,  just  to  see  the 
boys  and  the  country  and  have  a  talk  over  the  stirring 


180  THE    GRINGOS 

events  of  the  past  month ;  and,  he  added,  he  wanted  to 
hring  Jack  his  pistols  himself,  because  it  was  not 
reasonable  to  expect  any  greaser  to  withstand  the  temp 
tation  of  keeping  them,  once  he  got  them  in  his  hands. 

Therefore,  having  plenty  of  excuses  for  venturing 
so  far  from  his  place,  and  having  "  tied  the  dove  of 
peace  to  the  ridge-pole  "  of  town  by  means  of  some 
thorough  work  on  the  part  of  the  new  Committee,  he 
had  boldly  set  forth  that  morning,  soon  after  sunrise, 
upon  a  horse  which  somebody  had  sworn  that  a  lady 
could  ride. 

Bill  confessed  frankly  that  he  was  n't  any  lady,  how 
ever;  and  so,  when  the  horse  ducked  unexpectedly  to 
one  side  of  the  trail,  because  of  something  he  saw  in 
the  long  grass,  Bill  surprised  himself  very  much  by 
getting  his  next  clear  impression  of  the  situation  from 
the  ground. 

"  I  dunno  how  I  got  there,  but  I  was  there,  all  right, 
and  it  did  n't  feel  good,  either.  But  I  'd  been  making 
up  my  mind  to  get  off  and  try  walking  though,  so  I  done 
it.  Say,  I  don't  see  nothing  so  damned  attractive  about 
riding  horseback,  anyway !  " 

He  yelled  at  the  horse  to  stop,  but  it  appeared  that 
his  whoas  were  so  terrifying  that  the  horse  ran  for  its 
life.  So  Bill  started  to  walk,  beguiling  the  time  by 
soliloquizing  upon  —  well,  Bill  put  it  this  way :  "  I 


WILSON    GOES    VISITING     181 

walked  and  I  cussed,  and  I  cussed  and  I  walked,  for 
about  four  hours  and  a  half.  Say !  How  do  you  make 
out  it 's  only  twenty  miles  ?  " 

"  Nearer  thirty/7  corrected  Bade,  and  Bill  grunted 
and  went  on  with  the  story  of  his  misfortunes.  Walk 
ing  became  monotonous,  and  he  wearied  of  soliloquy 
before  the  cattle  discovered  him. 

"Met  quite  a  band,  all  of  a  sudden,"  said  Bill. 
"  They  throwed  up  their  heads  and  looked  at  me  like 
I  was  wild  Injuns,  and  I  shooed  ?em  off  —  or  tried  to. 
They  did  run  a  little  piece,  and  then  they  all  turned 
and  looked  a  minute,  and  commenced  coming  again, 
heads  up  and  tails  a-rising.  And,"  he  added  naively, 
"  I  commenced  going !  "  He  said  he  thought  that  he 
could  go  faster  than  they  could  come;  but  the  faster 
he  departed,  the  more  eager  was  their  arrival.  "  Till 
we  was  all  of  us  on  the  gallop  and  tongues  a-hanging." 

Bill  was  big,  and  he  was  inclined  to  flesh  because 
of  no  exercise  more  strenuous  than  quelling  incipient 
riots  in  his  place,  or  weighing  the  dust  that  passed  into 
his  hands  and  ownership.  He  must  have  run  for  some 
distance,  since  he  swore  by  several  forbidden  things 
that  the  chase  lasted  for  five  miles  — "  And  if  you 
don't  believe  it,  you  can  ride  back  up  the  trail  till  you 
come  to  the  dent  I  made  with  my  toes  when  I  started 


182  THE    GRINGOS 

Other  cattle  came  up  and  joined  in  the  race,  until 
Bill  had  quite  a  following;  and  when  he  was  gasping 
for  breath  and  losing  hope  of  seeing  another  day,  he 
came  upon  a  live  oak,  whose  branches  started  almost 
from  the  roots  and  inclined  upward  so  gently  that  even 
a  fat  man  who  has  lost  his  breath  need  not  hesitate  over 
the  climbing. 

"  Thank  the  good  Lord  he  don't  cut  all  his  trees 
after  the  same  pattern/'  finished  Bill  fervently,  "  and 
that  live  oaks  ain't  built  like  redwoods.  If  they  was, 
you  ?d  be  wiping  off  my  coat-buttons  right  now,  trying 
to  identify  my  remains !  " 

Being  polite  young  men,  and  having  a  sincere  liking 
for  Bill,  they  hid  certain  exchanges  of  grins  and 
glances  under  their  hat-brims  (Bill  being  above  them 
and  the  brims  being  wide)  and  did  not  by  a  single  word 
belittle  the  escape  he  had  had  from  man-eating  cows. 
Instead,  Dade  coaxed  him  down  from  the  tree  and  onto 
Surry,  swearing  solemnly  that  the  horse  was  quite  as 
safe  as  the  limb  to  which  Bill  showed  a  disposition  to 
cling.  Bill  was  hard  to  persuade,  but  since  Dade  was 
a  man  who  inspired  faith  instinctively,  the  exchange 
was  finally  accomplished,  Bill  still  showing  that  strange, 
clinging  disposition  that  made  him  grip  the  saddle- 
horn  as  a  drowning  man  is  said  to  grasp  at  a 
straw. 


WILSON   GOES   VISITING     183 

So  they  got  him  to  the  house,  the  two  riding  Jack's 
peppery  palimeno  with  some  difficulty;  while  Surry 
stepped  softly  that  he  might  not  dislodge  that  burden 
in  the  saddle,  whose  body  lurched  insecurely  and  made 
the  horse  feel  at  every  step  the  ignorance  of  the  man. 
They  got  him  and  themselves  to  the  house;  and  his 
presence  there  did  its  part  towards  strengthening  Don 
Andres'  liking  for  gringos,  while  Bill  himself  gained 
a  broader  outlook,  a  keener  perception  of  the  rights 
of  the  native-born  Californians. 

Up  in  San  Francisco  there  was  a  tendency  to  make 
light  of  those  rights.  It  was  commonly  accepted  that 
the  old  land  grants  were  outrageous,  and  that  the  dons 
who  prated  of  their  rights  were  but  land  pirates  who 
would  be  justly  compelled  by  the  government  to  dis 
gorge  their  holdings.  Bill  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
calling  all  Spaniards  "  greasers,"  just  as  the  average 
Spaniard  spoke  of  all  Americans  as  "  gringos,"  or 
heathenish  foreigners. 

But  on  the  porch  of  Don  Andres,  his  saddle-galled 
person  reclining  at  ease  in  a  great  armchair  behind  the 
passion  vines,  with  the  fragile  stem  of  a  wine-glass 
twirling  between  his  white,  sensitive,  gambler-fingers 
while  he  listened  to  the  don's  courtly  utterances  as 
translated  faithfully  by  Dade  (Jack  being  absent  on 
some  philandering  mission  of  his  own) ,  big  Bill  Wilson 


184  THE    GRINGOS 

opened  his  eyes  to  the  other  side  of  the  question  and 
frankly  owned  himself  puzzled  to  choose. 

"  Seems  like  the  men  that  came  here  when  there 
was  n't  anything  but  Injuns  and  animals,  and  built  up 
the  country  outa  raw  material,  ought  to  have  some  say 
now  about  who  's  going  to  reap  the  harvest,"  he  ad 
mitted  to  Dade.  "  Don't  look  so  much  like  gobbling, 
when  you  get  right  down  to  cases,  does  it  ?  But  at  the 
same  time,  all  these  men  that  leave  the  east  and  come 
out  here  to  make  homes  —  seems  like  they  Ve  got  a 
right  to  settle  down  and  plow  up  a  garden  patch  if  they 
want  to.  They  're  going  to  do  it,  anyway.  Looks  like 
these  grandees  '11  have  to  cash  in  their  chips  and  quit, 
but  it 's  a  darned  shame." 

As  to  the  town,  Bill  told  them  much  that  had  hap 
pened.  Politics  were  still  turbulent;  but  Perkins' 
gang  of  hoodlums  was  fairly  wiped  out,  and  the  Com 
mittee  was  working  systematically  and  openly  for  the 
best  interests  of  the  town.  There  had  been  a  hang 
ing  the  week  before;  a  public  hanging  in  the  square, 
after  a  trial  as  fair  as  any  court  properly  authorized 
could  give. 

"  Not  much  like  that  farce  they  pulled  off  that  day 
with  Jack,"  asserted  Bill.  "  Real  lawyers,  we  had, 
and  real  evidence  for  and  against  the  feller,  and  tried 
him  for  real  murder.  Things  are  cooling  down  fast, 


WILSON    GOES   VISITING     185 

up  there,  and  you  can  walk  the  streets  now  without 
hanging  onto  your  money  with  one  hand  and  your  gun 
with  the  other.  Jack  and  you  can  come  back  any  time. 
And  say,  Jack !  "  Having  heard  his  voice  beyond  the 
vines,  Bill  made  bold  to  call  him  somewhat  peremp 
torily. 

"  There  's  some  gold  left,  you  know,  that  belongs 
to  you.  I  did  n't  send  it  all  down ;  did  n't  like  the 
looks  of  that  —  er  —  "  He  checked  himself  on  the 
point  of  saying  greaser.  "  And  seeing  you  're  located 
down  here  for  the  summer,  and  don't  need  it,  why  don't 
you  put  it  into  lots?  You  two  can  pick  up  a  couple 
of  lots  that  will  grow  into  good  money,  one  of  these 
days.  Fact  is,  I  've  got  a  couple  in  mind.  I  'd  like  to 
see  you  fellows  get  some  money  to  workin'  for  you. 
This  horseback  riding  is  too  blamed  risky." 

"  That  looks  reasonable  to  me,"  said  Bade.  "  We  've 
got  the  mine,  of  course,  but  the  town  ought  to  go  on 
growing,  and  lots  should  be  a  good  place  to  sink  a 
thousand  or  two.  I  've  got  a  little  that  ain't  working." 
Then  seeing  the  inquiring  look  in  the  eyes  of  Don 
Andres,  he  explained  to  him  what  Bill  had  suggested. 

Don  Andres  nodded  his  white  head  approvingly. 
"  The  Senor  Weelson  is  right,"  he  said.  "  You  would 
do  well,  amigos,  to  heed  his  advice." 

"  Just  as  Jack  says,"  Dade  concluded ;   and   Jack 


186  THE    GRINGOS 

amended  that  statement  by  saying  it  was  just  as  Bill 
said.  If  Bill  knew  of  a  lot  or  two  and  thought  it 
would  be  a  good  investment,  he  could  buy  them  in  their 
names.  And  Bill  snorted  at  their  absolute  lack  of 
business  instinct  and  let  the  subject  drop  into  the  back 
ground  with  the  remark  that,  for  men  that  had  come 
west  with  the  gold  fever,  they  surely  did  seem  to  care 
very  little  about  the  gold  they  came  after. 

"  The  fun  of  finding  it  is  good  enough,"  declared 
Jack,  unashamed,  "  so  long  as  we  have  all  we  need. 
And  when  we  need  more  than  we  've  got,  there  7s  the 
mine ;  we  can  always  find  more.  Just  now  —  " 

He  waved  his  cigarette  towards  the  darkening  hills; 
and  in  the  little  silence  that  followed  they  heard  the 
sweet,  high  tenor  of  a  vaquero  somewhere,  singing 
plaintively  a  Spanish  love-song.  When  the  voice  trailed 
into  a  mournful,  minor  "  Adios,  adios,"  a  robin  down 
in  the  orchard  added  a  brief,  throaty  note  of  his  own. 

Bill  sighed  and  eased  his  stiffened  muscles  in  the 
big  chair.  "Well,  I  don't  blame  either  one  of  you," 
he  drawled  somewhat  wistfully.  "If  I  was  fifteen 
years  limberer  and  fifty  pounds  slimmer,  I  dunno  but 
what  I  'd  set  into  this  ranch  game  myself.  It  ?s  sure 
peaceful." 

Foolishly  they  agreed  that  it  was. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

EODEO    TIME 

IN  those  days  of  large  leisure  and  cyclonic  bursts 
of  excitement  and  activity;  of  midday  siestas  and 
moonlight  serenades  —  and  a  duel,  perchance,  at  sun 
rise —  the  spring  rodeo  was  one  of  the  year's  events, 
to  be  looked  forward  to  all  winter  by  the  vaqueros; 
and  when  it  was  over,  to  be  talked  of  afterwards  for 
months.  A  mark  from  which  to  measure  the  passing 
of  time,  it  was;  a  date  for  the  fixing  of  incidents  in 
the  memory  of  men. 

In  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara,  rodeo  time  really  be 
gan  when  the  Picardo  vaqueros  cinched  saddles  upon 
restive  mustangs  some  misty  morning,  and  with  shouts 
and  laughter  and  sombreros  waving  high  over  black 
heads  in  adieu  to  those  who  remained  behind,  swept 
down  the  slope  like  a  charge  of  gayly  caparisoned 
cavalry,  driving  the  loose  saddle  horses  before  them. 
Past  the  stone  and  adobe  wall  of  the  home  pasture,  past 
the  fences  where  the  rails  were  held  to  their  posts  with 
rawhide  thongs,  which  the  coyotes  sometimes  chewed 


188  THE    GRINGOS 

to  pulp  and  so  made  extra  work  for  the  peons,  they 
raced,  exultant  with  life.  Slim  young  Spaniards  they 
were,  clothed  picturesquely  in  velvet  and  braid  and 
gay  sashes;  with  cumbersome,  hairy  chaparejos,  high- 
crowned  sombreros  and  big-roweled,  silver  spurs  to 
mark  their  calling;  caballeros  to  flutter  the  heart  of 
a  languorous-eyed  senorita,  and  to  tingle  the  pulse  of 
the  man  who  could  command  and  see  them  ride  gal 
lantly  to  do  his  bidding. 

Fairly  in  the  midst  of  them,  quite  as  gaudy  to  look 
upon  and  every  whit  as  reckless  in  their  horseman 
ship,  rode  Dade  and  Jack.  If  their  hearts  were  not 
as  light,  their  faces  gave  no  sign;  and  their  tongues 
flung  back  the  good-humored  jibes  of  their  fellows  in 
Spanish  as  fluent  as  any  they  heard. 

When  they  left  the  highway  and  rode  straight  down 
the  valley  through  the  mustard  that  swept  the  chests 
of  their  plunging  horses  with  dainty  yellow  and  green, 
the  two  fell  behind  and  slowing  their  horses  to  an 
easy  lope,  separated  themselves  from  their  exuberant 
fellows. 

"  I  wish  you  were  going  along/'  Dade  observed 
tritely.  "  If  Jose  Pacheco  changes  his  mind  and  stays 
at  home,  I  '11  send  you  word  and  you  can  come  on,  if 
you  want  to." 

"  Thanks."      Jack's  tone,   however,    did   not   sound 


RODEO    TIME  189 

thankful.  "  If  I  wanted  to  go,  do  you  think  I  'd  hang 
back  because  he  's  going  ?  " 

"  No,  I  don't.  I  think  the  prospect  of  a  fine,  large 
row  would  be  a  temptation ;  and  I  must  say  I  'm  kinda 
surprised  that  you  've  been  able  to  resist  it.  Still,  I 
realize  there  ?s  compensations." 

"  Sure,  there  are.     I  never  denied  it,  did  I  ?  " 

"  Never.  I  reckon  you  Ve  sent  by  Bill  Wilson  for 
a  trumpet  to  proclaim  —  " 

"  Oh,  shut  up.  I  think,"  Jack  decided  suddenly 
and  without  any  visible  cause,  "  I  '11  turn  off  here  and 
ride  around  by  Jerry  Simpson's.  Adios,  old  man,  and 
heaps  of  good  luck  to  you."  He  swung  abruptly  off  to 
the  right  and  galloped  away,  looking  back  over  his  shoul 
der  when  he  had  ridden  a  hundred  paces,  to  wave  his 
sombrero  and  shout  a  last  word  or  two  of  farewell. 

"  Truly,  Jose  will  be  disappointed  when  he  does  not 
see  Seiior  Jack  amongst  us,"  smiled  Valencia,  reining 
in  beside  Dade  and  looking  after  the  departing  horse 
man  with  friendly  eyes.  "  Though  if  he  had  good 
sense,  he  would  be  thankful.  Me,  I  should  not  like 
to  have  trouble  with  that  friend  of  yours,  Serior.  In 
San  Francisco  they  talk  yet  of  that  day  when  he  fired 
three  times  from  a  galloping  horse  and  killed  three 
men.  Dios!  That  was  pretty  shooting.  I  would  have 
given  much  to  see  it.  There  will  be  few  men  so  bold 


190  THE    GRINGOS 

now  as  to  make  war  with  that  blue-eyed  hombre;  but 
Jose  is  a  fool,  when  his  will  is  crossed.  Me,  I  fight  — 
yes,  and  love  the  heat  of  fighting  in  my  blood;  but  I 
do  not  bellow  threats  before,  as  Jose  has  been  doing. 
Carramba !  To  hear  him,  one  would  think  he  believed 
that  men  may  die  of  curses;  if  they  did,  the  Seiior  Jack 
would  be  lying  now  with  candles  burning  at  his  head 
and  his  feet!  Truly,  love  takes  the  sense  out  of  a 
man  quicker  than  wine." 

Dade  agreed  with  him,  though  his  lips  did  not  open 
to  form  any  words  upon  the  subject. 

Their  first  stopping  place  was  Jose's  ranch  down  near 
Santa  Clara,  and  he  wondered  just  how  far  Jose's 
hatred  of  him  would  interfere  with  the  traditions  of 
hospitality.  It  was  not  likely  that  Jose's  vaqueros 
would  be  ready  to  start  that  day;  and  although  he 
carried  his  own  camp  equipment  on  pack-horses,  and, 
guided  by  Valencia,  ordered  the  camp  set  up  in  its 
accustomed  place  beside  a  little  stream  half  a  mile 
from  the  house,  he  sent  many  a  questioning  glance  that 
way. 

If  he  feared  a  hostile  reception,  he  was  soon  re 
assured.  Jose  and  Manuel  speedily  appeared,  gal 
loping  side-by-side  through  the  lush  yellow  and  green. 
Jose's  manner  was  irreproachable,  his  speech  carefully 
considered.  If  his  eyes  lacked  their  usual  warm  glow 


RODEO    TIME  191 

of  friendliness,  it  was  because  he  could  not  bring  that 
look  at  will  to  beam  upon  the  guest  whom  his  heart 
failed  to  welcome.  He  invited  Dade  to  dinner  with 
him;  and  Dade,  hoping  to  establish  a  better  under 
standing  between  them,  accepted. 

Dade  had  not  lived  half  his  life  amongst  the  dark- 
skinned  race  for  nothing.  He  sipped  the  home-made 
wine  with  Jose,  talked  of  many  things  in  his  soft,  easy- 
natured  drawl,  and  by  letting  his  inner  friendliness 
with  the  whole  world  look  out  of  his  eyes  when  they 
dwelt  upon  his  host,  went  Jose  one  better  in  courtesy. 
And  Jose,  sauntering  afterward  across  the  patio  to 
the  porch,  met  Manuel  face  to  face  and  paid  tribute  to 
Don  Andres'  new  majordomo  in  a  single  sentence. 

"  If  all  gringos  were  like  this  Senor  Hunter,  one 
could  tolerate  their  coming  to  live  amongst  us,"  he 
said  frankly. 

"  Si,"  grudged  Manuel.  "  But  then,  he  is  not  all 
gringo.  Many  years  he  dwelt  with  our  people  in  Texas, 
so  that  he  has  the  Spanish  ways ;  but  me,  I  want  none 
of  him." 

Jose  laughed  without  much  mirth  to  lighten  the 
sound.  "  The  blue-eyed  one  —  did  you  find  from  the 
vaqueros  why  he  did  not  come  ?  He  need  not  have  been 
afraid  of  me  —  not  if  his  fame  was  earned  honestly." 
If  his  tone  were  patronizing,  Jose  perhaps  had  some 


192  THE    GRINGOS 

excuse,  since  Fame  had  not  altogether  passed  him  by 
with  face  averted. 

"  Part  of  the  way  he  came,  and  turned  back.  The 
vaqueros  do  not  know  why,  except  Valencia.  And 
Valencia  —  he  is  growing  a  gringo  heart,  like  the 
patron.  He  will  speak  nothing  but  boasts  of  what  that 
blue-eyed  one  can  do.  Me,  I  came  near  fighting  with 
Valencia;  only  he  would  not  do  anything  but  smile 
foolishly,  when  I  told  him  what  I  think  of  traitors 
like  himself." 

"  Let  him  smile/'  advised  Jose,  "  while  he  may." 
Which  was  not  a  threat,  in  spite  of  its  resemblance  to 
one,  but  rather  a  vague  reference  to  the  specter  of 
trouble  that  stalks  all  men  as  a  fox  stalks  a  quail,  and 
might  some  day  wipe  that  broad  smile  from  the  face 
of  Valencia,  as  it  had  swept  all  the  gladness  from  his 
own. 

He  went  back  and  smoked  a  final  cigarette  in  Dade's 
company;  and  if  he  said  little,  his  silences  held  no 
hint  of  antagonism.  It  was  not  until  Bade  rose  to 
return  to  camp  for  the  night  that  Jose  put  the  question 
that  had  tickled  the  tongue  of  him  ever  since  the 
arrival  on  his  ranch  of  the  Picardo  vaqueros. 

"  Your  friend,  the  Seiior  Allen  —  he  is  to  join  you 
later,  perhaps  ?  " 

"  Jack  was  left  to  look  after  the  ranch."     Dade's 


RODEO    TIME  193 

eyes  were  level  in  their  glance,  his  voice  quiet  with  the 
convincing  ring  of  truth.  "  He  won't  be  on  rodeo  at 
all." 

Jose  went  paler  than  he  had  been  two  weeks  before 
with  his  hurt,  but  a  simple  word  of  polite  surprise 
held  all  his  answer.  For  Jack  to  stay  at  home,  to  be 
near  Teresita  every  day,  to  have  nothing  in  the  way  of 
his  lovemaking  —  nothing,  since  those  doting  two,  her 
parents,  would  but  smile  at  whatever  she  might  choose 
to  do  —  there  was  acid  enough  in  that  thought  to  eat 
away  all  the  warmth,  all  the  generosity  Jose  possessed. 
He  let  Bade  go  without  even  the  perfunctory  phrases 
of  regret,  which  custom  had  made  almost  compulsory; 
and  Manuel,  sitting  in  silent  wrath  upon  the  porch, 
listened  to  the  steady  footfalls  moving  up  and  down  the 
room  behind  him  until  the  moon,  that  had  been  shining 
in  his  smoldering  eyes,  slipped  over  the  red  tiles  of  the 
roof  and  left  all  but  the  tree-tops  in  black  shade. 

"  Dios !  There  will  be  one  gringo  the  less  when 
those  two  meet,"  he  muttered,  staring  at  the  tiny  glow 
of  his  cigarette;  and  afterward  folded  his  arms  tightly 
over  a  chest  that  heaved  with  the  impatience  within. 
When  those  two  met,  Manuel  meant  to  be  there  also 
to  see.  "  Me,  I  should  like  to  drag  him  to  death  with 
the  six-strand  riata  he  despised !  "  was  the  beautiful 
thought  he  took  to  bed  with  him. 


194  THE    GRINGOS 

Sunshine  was  lifting  the  morning  fog  high  above 
the  tree-tops  when  the  old,  gray  mare,  whose  every 
movement  tinkled  the  bell  hung  around  her  neck,  shook 
her  rough  coat  vigorously  to  free  it  from  the  moisture 
which  the  fog  had  left;  and  so  jangled  a  peremptory 
summors  to  the  herd  of  saddle  horses  that  bore  the 
brand  of  Don  Andres  Picardo  upon  their  right  thighs. 
At  the  camp  upon  the  bank  of  the  Guadalupe,  the  em- 
baladors  were  shouting  curses,  commands,  jokes,  and 
civilities  to  one  another  while  they  brought  orderly 
packs  out  of  the  chaos  of  camp-equipment  that  littered 
the  ground. 

The  vaqueros  were  saddling  their  mounts  and  fairly 
bubbling  with  a  purely  animal  joy  in  the  open;  and 
Dade,  his  cigarette  sending  up  a  tiny  ribbon  of  aro 
matic  smoke  as  if  he  were  burning  incense  before  the 
altar  of  the  soul  of  him  that  looked  steadfastly  out  of 
his  eyes,  walked  among  them  with  that  intangible  air 
of  good-fellowship  which  is  so  hard  to  describe,  but 
which  carries  more  weight  among  men  than  any  de 
gree  of  imperious  superiority.  Valencia  looked  up  and 
flashed  him  a  smile  as  he  came  near;  and  Pancho,  the 
lean  vaquero  with  the  high  beak  and  the  tender  heart, 
turned  to  see  what  Valencia  was  smiling  at  and  gave 
instant  glimpse  of  his  own  white  teeth  when  he  saw 
Dade  behind  him. 


RODEO    TIME  195 

"  To-day  will  be  hot,  Sefior,"  he  said.  "  Me,  I  wish 
we  were  already  at  Tres  Pinos." 

"  No,  you  don't,"  grinned  Dade,  "  for  then  you 
would  not  have  the  Sunal  rancho  before  you,  to  build 
hopes  upon,  but  behind  you  —  and  hope,  they  say,  is 
sweeter  than  memory,  Pancho." 

Pancho,  being  ugly  to  look  upon,  liked  to  be  rallied 
upon  the  one  senorita  in  the  valley  whose  eyes  bright 
ened  at  sight  of  him.  He  grinned  gratifiedly  and  said 
no  more. 

A  faint  medley  of  sounds  blended  by  distance  turned 
heads  towards  the  east;  and  presently,  breasting  the 
mustard  field  that  lay  level  and  yellow  to  the  hills, 
came  Jose's  squad  of  vaqueros,  with  Jose  himself  lead 
ing  the  group  at  a  pace  that  was  recklessly  headlong, 
his  crimson  sash  floating  like  a  pennant  in  the  breeze 
he  stirred  to  life  as  he  charged  down  upon  them. 

"  Only  for  the  silver  trimmings,  you  looked  like  a 
band  of  warlike  Injuns  coming  down  on  us  with  the 
sun  at  your  back,"  laughed  Bade,  as  Jose  swung  down 
near  him.  "They're  riders  —  the  Indians  back  there 
on  the  plains;  and  when  they  pop  over  a  ridge  and 
come  down  on  you  like  a  tidal  wave,  your  backbone 
squirms  a  little  in  spite  of  you.  The  way  your  vaqueros 
parted  and  galloped  around  our  camp  was  a  pretty  good 
imitation  of  their  preliminary  flourishes." 


196  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Still,  I  do  not  come  in  war/'  Jose  returned,  and 
looked  full  at  the  other.  "  I  hope  that  we  shall  have 
peace,  Senor  Hunter;  though  one  day  I  shall  meet  that 
friend  of  yours  in  war,  if  the  saints  permit.  And 
may  the  day  come  soon." 

"  Whatever  quarrel  you  may  have  with  Jack,  I  hope 
it  will  not  hinder  us  from  working  together  without 
bad  feeling  between  us."  Dade  threw  away  his  cigar 
ette  and  took  a  step  nearer,  so  that  the  vaqueros  could 
not  hear. 

"  Don  Jose,  I  know  you  don't  like  a  gringo  major- 
domo  to  lead  Don  Andres'  vaqueros  on  rodeo.  I  don't 
blame  you  Californians  for  being  prejudiced  against 
Americans,  because  you  've  been  treated  pretty  shab 
bily  by  a  certain  class  of  them.  But  you  're  not  so 
narrow  you  can't  see  that  we  're  not  all  alike.  I  'd  like 
to  be  friends,  if  you  will,  but  I  'm  not  going  to  apolo 
gize  for  being  a  gringo,  nor  for  being  here  in  charge 
of  this  camp.  I  did  n't  choose  my  nationality,  and  I 
did  n't  ask  for  my  job.  I  '11  give  you  a  square  deal, 
and  I  want  you  to  know  that  if  there  's  any  grudge 
between  us,  it 's  all  on  your  side." 

Jose's  fingers  fumbled  the  little  corn-husk  wrapping 
for  the  cigarette  he  meant  to  make.  "  Senor,  I  repeat 
what  I  said  to  Manuel  last  night,"  he  said,  after  a 
pause.  "  If  all  gringos  were  like  you,  we  Californians 


RODEO   TIME  197 

would  like  the  name  better.  But  I  thought  you  would 
stand  by  your  friend  —  " 

"  And  so  I  will,  to  the  last  —  "  Not  being  of  a 
theatrical  temperament,  Bade  balked  at  protestations  of 
his  loyalty.  "  Jack  and  I  have  worked  and  fought  and 
played  elbow  to  elbow  for.  a  long  time,  Don  Jose.  But 
I  don't  mix  into  his  personal  quarrels,  unless  I  see 
him  getting  a  crooked  deal.  I  believe  you  '11  fight  fair. 
The  rest  lies  between  you  two." 

"  But  is  it  not  your  boast  that  the  Senor  Allen  is 
the  supreme  caballero  of  California  ?  "  Jose  was  frank, 
at  least,  and  Dade  liked  him  the  better  for  it.  "  For 
three  years  I  have  held  the  medalla  oro  [gold  medal] 
for  riding  and  for  riata  throwing;  if  it  is  true  that 
you  boast  —  " 

Dade,  as  was  the  way  of  him  when  disgust  or  chagrin 
seized  him,  flung  out  both  hands  impatiently.  "  I  did 
say  he  could  n't  be  beat.  I  said  it  to  Manuel,  when 
Manuel  was  sneering  that  Jack  did  n't  know  a  good 
riata  from  a  bad  one.  I  won't  take  it  back.  I  have  n't 
seen  your  work  in  the  saddle,  Don  Jose.  I  have  seen 
Jack's,  and  I  never  saw  any  better.  So,  until  I  do, 
I  can  believe  he  's  the  best,  can't  I  ?  " 

"  Si."  Jose  smiled  without  effort.  "  You  are 
honest,  Senor  Hunter,  and  that  pleases  me  well.  I  do 
not  like  you  less  because  you  are  loyal  to  your  friend; 


198  THE    GRINGOS 

but  that  friend  I  hope  one  day  to  kill."  He  looked  at 
the  other  questioningly.  "  Now  I  am  honest  also,"  his 
eyes  said  plainly. 

"  That  's  your  affair  and  Jack's,  as  long  as  you  don't 
try  to  get  him  when  he  is  n't  looking." 

"  I  am  not  an  assassin,  Senor  Hunter,"  Jose  retorted 
stiffly. 

"  Then  we  understand  each  other,  I  guess.  Let 's 
get  these  fellows  started.  It 's  going  to  he  hot,  they 
say,  and  the  horses  are  soft  yet  —  at  least,  ours  are. 
We  took  them  off  pasture  yesterday,  most  of  them." 

"  Mine  are  the  same,  Senor.  But  to-day's  marcha 
will  be  an  easy  one.  To  Sunal  Rancho  is  not  far."  He 
turned  to  remount  and  give  the  signal  for  starting. 
And  with  a  little  of  the  pride  that  had  impelled  Jack 
to  show  off  his  skill  that  day  when  the  Captain  of  the 
Committee  commanded  him  to  mount  the  buckskin, 
Jose  also  vaulted  into  the  saddle  without  deigning  to 
touch  the  stirrup. 

There  was  doubt  in  the  senor's  mind  about  his  horse 
manship  being  the  best  in  all  California  ?  Very  good. 
The  senor  would  have  the  opportunity  to  judge  for 
himself.  Still,  Jose  had  put  to  sleep  most  of  his  an 
tagonism  towards  Dade,  and  his  attitude  of  friendli 
ness  was  not  so  deliberately  forced  as  Manuel,  watching 
eagerly  for  the  first  sign  of  a  clash,  believed  it  to  be. 


CHAPTER  XV 

WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK 

DOWN"  the  valley  they  rode,  gathering  numbers 
to  swell  the  cavalcade  at  each  ranch  they  passed. 
La  Laguna  Seca,  San  Vincente,  Las  Uvas  sent  their 
quota  of  vaqueros,  each  headed  by  a  majordomo  and 
accompanied  by  embaladors  with  the  camp  equipment 
and  supplies  packed  upon  steady-going  little  mustangs. 
The  bell-mares  of  the  various  herds  jangled  a  chorus 
of  pleasant  discords  with  their  little,  iron  bells.  The 
scent  of  the  mustard  rose  pungently  under  the  trampling 
hoofs.  At  dusk,  the  camp-fires  blinked  at  one  another 
through  the  purpling  shadows;  and  the  vaqueros, 
stretched  lazily  upon  their  saddle  blankets  in  the  glow, 
stilled  the  night  noises  beneath  the  pleasant  murmur 
of  their  voices  while  they  talked.  From  the  camp  of 
the  San  Vincente  riders  rose  a  voice  beautifully  clear 
and  sweet,  above  the  subdued  clamor. 

Dade  was  listening  to  the  song  and  dreaming  a 
little  while  he  listened,  with  his  head  lying  cradled  in 
his  clasped  hands  and  his  face  to  the  stars,  when  the 


200  THE    GRINGOS 

group  around  the  next  camp-fire  tittered  and  broke 
into  an  occasional  laugh.  Then  a  question  was  called 
to  whoever  might  be  within  hearing: 

"  Who  ?s  the  best  vaquero  in  California  ?  " 

"  Jack  Allen,  the  gringo !  "  shouted  a  dozen  voices, 
so  that  every  camp  must  hear.  Then  came  jeering 
laughter  from  every  camp  save  one,  the  camp  of  the 
Picardo  vaqueros. 

Valencia's  dark  head  lifted  from  the  red  and  green 
blanket  beyond  the  blaze;  and  Dade,  watching,  could 
see  his  profile  sharply  defined  in  the  yellow  light  of 
the  fire,  as  he  stared  toward  the  offending  camp.  The 
lips  that  smiled  so  often  were  drawn  tight  and  thin; 
the  nostrils  flared  like  a  frightened  horse.  While  the 
laughs  were  still  cackling  derision,  Valencia  jumped 
up  and  ran;  and  Dade,  even  before  he  sat  up  to  look, 
knew  where  he  was  going. 

At  the  fire  where  the  question  was  put,  a  young 
fellow,  whose  heavy,  black  mustache  prudently  hid 
lips  coarse  and  sneering,  came  to  his  feet  like  a  dummy 
of  a  man  and  glared  dazedly  at  his  companions,  as 
if  their  faces  should  tell  him  whose  hand  it  was  that 
gripped  the  braided  collar  of  his  jacket.  He  was  not 
long  in  doubt,  however.  The  voice  of  Valencia  grated 
vitriolic  sentences  in  his  ear,  and  the  free  hand  of 
Valencia  was  lifted  to  deal  him  a  blow  fair  upon  the 


WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK     201 

blank  face  of  him.  The  circle  of  faces  watched,  mo 
tionless,  above  crouched  bodies  as  quiet  as  the  stars 
overhead. 

A  hand  grasped  Valencia's  wrist  while  his  arm  was 
lifted  to  strike,  so  that  the  three  men  stood,  taut- 
muscled  and  still,  like  a  shadowy,  sculptured  group  that 
pictured  some  mythological  conflict. 

"  Let  go,  Valencia.  This  is  nothing  to  fight  over. 
Let  go." 

Valencia's  angry  eyes  questioned  the  unreadable  ones 
of  his  majordomo;  but  he  did  not  let  go,  and  so  the 
three  stood  for  a  moment  longer. 

"  But  they  insult  the  Seiior  Allen  with  their  jeers," 
he  protested.  "  Me,  I  fight  always  for  my  friends  who 
are  not  present  to  fight  for  themselves.  Would  not  the 
Senor  Allen  fight  this  fool  who  flouts  him  so  ?  " 

"  No !  "  Dade's  eyes  flicked  the  circle  of  faces  upon 
which  the  firelight  danced.  "  If  the  Seiior  Allen  were 
here,  there  would  be  no  jeering." 

"  And  for  that  will  I  fight  them  all !  "  Valencia 
twisted  his  arm  a  little,  in  the  hope  that  Dade  would 
let  go  his  wrist.  "  Ah,  Senor !  Shall  a  man  not  be 
true  to  his  friends  ?  " 

"  Si,  he  shall  be  true,  and  he  shall  be  sensible.  Is 
the  Senor  Jack  a  weakling,  that  he  cannot  fight  for 
himself?" 


202  THE    GRINGOS 

"  But  he  is  not  here !  If  he  were  —  "  The  tone 
of  him  gloated  over  the  picture  of  what  would  happen 
in  that  case. 

"  There  shall  be  no  fighting."  If  Dade's  voice  was 
quiet,  it  did  not  carry  the  impression  of  weakness,  or 
indecision.  "  Come  to  your  own  fire,  Valencia.  If  it 
is  necessary  to  fight  for  the  Seiior  Allen  —  I  am  also 
his  friend." 

"  You  are  right.  There  shall  be  no  fighting."  Dade 
started  and  glanced  at  Jose,  standing  beside  him.  "  If 
the  Seiior  Allen  thinks  himself  the  best,  surely  it  is  I, 
who  hold  the  medalla  that  calls  me  el  vaquero  supremo, 
who  have  the  right  to  question  his  boast;  not  you, 
amigos !  " 

"  Who  ?s  the  best  vaquero,  the  bravest  and  the  best 
in  California  ?  "  queried  a  voice  —  the  voice  of  the 
singer,  who  had  corne  up  with  others  to  see  what  was 
going  on  here.  And  at  his  elbow  another  made  answer 
boldly: 

"  Don  Jose  Pacheco !  " 

Jose  smiled  and  lifted  his  shoulders  deprecatingly 
at  the  tribute,  while  fifty  voices  shouted  loyally  his 
name.  Dade,  pressing  his  hand  upon  Valencia's  shoul 
der,  led  him  back  into  the  dancing  shadows  that  lay 
between  the  fires. 

"  Let  it  go,"  he  urged.    "  Don  Jose  holds  the  medal, 


WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK     203 

and  he  's  entitled  to  the  glory.  We  must  keep  peace, 
Valencia,  or  else  I  must  leave  the  rodeo.  Personal 
quarrels  must  wait." 

"  Si,  Seiior,  personal  quarrels  must  wait,"  assented 
Jose,  again  coming  up  unexpectedly  behind  them.  "  I 
but  wish  to  say  that  I  regret  the  bad  manners  of  those 
caballeros,  whose  best  excuse  is  that  they  are  my  friends. 
I  hope  the  seiior  does  not  accuse  me  of  spreading  the 
news  of  the  senor's  boast.  There  are  others,  as  the 
seiior  well  knows,  who  heard  it  before  even  it  came  to 
my  ears." 

"It  doesn't  matter,"  Bade  repeated.  "They'll 
have  their  joke,  and  I  don't  blame  them  for  putting  the 
joke  on  a  stranger,  especially  when  he  's  a  gringo  — 
and  absent." 

"  The  senor  is  wise  as  he  is  loyal,"  stated  Jose  and 
bowed  himself  into  the  shadows.  "  Buenos  noches, 
Seiior." 

"  Good-night,"  answered  Dade,  speaking  English  to 
show  he  was  not  ashamed  of  it;  and  rolled  himself  in 
his  blankets  as  a  deliberate  hint  to  Valencia  that  he 
did  not  want  to  discuss  the  incident,  much  to  that 
one's  disappointment. 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  Valencia  did  not  share  in 
Dade's  determination  to  keep  the  peace;  for,  before  he 
slept,  he  promised  himself  that  he  would  yet  tell  that 


204  THE    GRINGOS 

pig-faced  vaquero  from  Las  Uvas  what  he  thought  of 
him.  But  outwardly  the  incident  was  closed,  and 
closed  permanently. 

The  sun  was  not  risen  above  the  mountains  before 
they  were  hurriedly  drinking  their  black  coffee,  and 
making  ready  to  break  camp;  the  flurry  of  emotions 
seemed  to  have  died  with  the  evening  fire.  If  the  men 
of  the  other  camps  were  cool  in  their  manner  towards 
Bade  when  they  met  him,  at  least  they  were  civil;  ex 
cept  Manuel,  who  passed  him  by  with  lowered  brows, 
and  of  him  Dade  took  no  notice.  If  he  were  watched 
curiously,  in  hope  of  detecting  the  awkwardness  which 
would  betray  unfamiliarity  with  his  work,  Dade  took 
no  notice  of  that,  either,  except  to  grin  now  and  then 
when  he  rode  away.  Altogether,  he  was  well  pleased 
with  his  reception  and  inclined  to  laugh  at  the  forebod 
ings  he  had  felt;  forebodings  born  of  the  knowledge 
that,  unless  these  natives  of  California  were  minded  to 
tolerate  the  presence  of  a  gringo  majordomo,  it  would 
be  absolutely  useless  for  him  to  attempt  to  work  with 
them. 

If  he  had  only  known  it,  his  own  men  had  done 
much  towards  lessening  the  prejudice  of  those  who 
joined  the  main  outfit.  Valencia  was  not  the  only  one 
of  the  Picardo  vaqueros  whose  friendship  might  be 
counted  upon.  Like  Manuel  before  he  became  jealous, 


WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK     205 

they  forgot  that  Dade  was  not  of  Spanish  birth;  for 
his  eyes  and  his  hair  were  dark  as  many  of  the  native- 
born  Californians,  and  his  speech  was  as  their  own; 
he  was  good-humored,  just  in  his  judgments,  reason 
able  in  his  demands.  He  could  tell  a  good  story  well 
if  he  liked,  or  he  could  keep  silent  and  listen  with  that 
sympathetic  attention  that  never  fails  to  flatter  the 
teller  of  a  tale.  To  a  man  they  liked  him,  and  they 
were  not  slow  to  show  their  liking  after  the  manner  of 
their  kind. 

By  the  time  they  reached  Tres  Pinos,  which  was  the 
rendezvous  of  all  the  vaqueros  from  the  Picardo  ranch 
on  the  north  to  San  Miguel  on  the  south,  Dade  had 
quite  lost  the  constraint  that  comes  of  feeling  that  one 
is  disliked  and  only  tolerated  for  the  moment.  He 
whistled  while  he  rode  along  the  creek  bank  looking 
for  a  comfortable  camp  site;  and  when  Valencia  loped 
up  to  him,  as  he  was  hesitating  over  a  broad,  shaded 
strip  under  a  clump  of  willows,  he  turned  and  smiled 
upon  his  head  vaquero. 

"  See,  Senor,  how  well  we  Californians  work  to 
gether  !  "  cried  Valencia,  pointing  pridefully.  "  Here 
they  come,  the  vaqueros  from  Agua  Amargo,  Durasno, 
Corral  de  Terre,  Salinas  —  not  yet  have  our  embala- 
dors  thrown  off  the  ropes  from  our  packs,  before  they 
are  here,  these  others  whom  we  came  to  meet!  ~Not 


206  THE    GRINGOS 

one  hour  late,  even!  And  the  word  was  given  weeks 
ago  that  we  would  meet  this  day." 

From  the  mouth  of  the  canyon  trotted  a  band  of 
saddle  horses,  kicking  up  a  dust  cloud  that  filmed  the 
picture  made  by  the  gay  caballeros  who  galloped  be 
hind.  A  gallant  company  were  they;  and  when  they 
met  and  mingled  with  those  who  came  down  from  the 
north,  it  was  as  though  a  small  army  was  giving  itself 
a  holiday  in  that  vivid  valley,  with  the  Tres  Pinos 
gurgling  at  the  fun. 

Having  had  experience  in  these  matters,  Dade  was 
able  to  do  his  part  and  do  it  like  a  veteran,  although 
he  tactfully  left  to  the  other  majordomos  all  those 
little  details  that  would  make  of  the  various  camps 
one  orderly  company.  Two  men  he  chose  from  his  out 
fit  and  sent  to  the  captain,  as  the  Picardo  contribution 
to  the  detail  told  off  to  herd  the  horses,  but  beyond  that 
he  confined  himself  chiefly  to  making  himself  as  un 
obtrusive  as  was  consistent  with  dignity. 

Six  men  were  sent  out  after  beef;  and  although  Dade 
had  many  times  in  Texas  done  exactly  what  they  were 
doing,  he  watched  interestedly  these  Californians  at 
their  work. 

Cattle  were  everywhere  except  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  camp.  Half  a  mile  or  so  the  vaqueros 
galloped;  then  two  of  the  leaders  singled  out  a  fat, 


WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK     207 

young  steer  and  made  after  him  with  their  riatas 
hissing  as  the  rawhide  circled  over  their  heads. 

A  loop  dropped  neatly  over  the  wide  horns,  and  a 
moment  later  the  second  settled  upon  the  first.  The  first 
man  turned  and  headed  towards  camp  with  the  steer 
at  his  heels,  ready  at  the  slightest  opportunity  to  make 
use  of  those  long,  sharp-pointed  horns  which  nature 
had  given  him  for  just  such  need  as  this.  The  steer 
quite  forgot  the  man  behind,  until  he  made  a  vicious 
lunge  and  was  checked  by  the  rope  that  had  hung 
slack  and  unnoticed  over  his  back.  Furious,  the  steer 
turned  and  charged  resentfully  at  the  caballero  who 
was  following  him  and  shouting  taunts.  But  there 
again  he  was  checked  by  the  first. 

So,  charging  this  way  and  that;  galloping  wildly  in 
pursuit  of  the  man  who  seemed  to  be  fleeing  for  his 
life,  or  wheeling  to  do  battle  with  the  rider  who  kept 
just  so  far  in  his  rear,  he  was  decoyed  to  the  very  out 
skirts  of  the  camp. 

If  he  had  been  qualified  to  weigh  motives,  the  heart 
of  that  brindle-roan  steer  would  surely  have  burst  at 
the  pure  effrontery  of  the  thing :  not  only  must  he  yield 
his  life  and  give  his  body  for  meat,  that  those  yearn 
ing  stomachs  might  be  filled  with  his  flesh;  he  must 
deliver  that  meat  at  the  most  convenient  spot,  as  a 
butcher  brings  our  chops  to  the  kitchen  door.  For  that 


208  THE    GRINGOS 

purpose  alone  they  were  cunningly  luring  him  closer 
and  closer,  that  they  need  not  carry  the  meat  far  when 
they  had  slaughtered  him. 

At  least  his  last  moments  were  lighted  with  hope. 
He  made  one  grand,  final  dash,  tripped  in  a  noose 
that  had  somehow  dropped  neatly  in  the  way  of  his 
front  feet,  and  went  down  with  a  crash  and  a  bellow 
of  dismay.  Some  one  ran  lightly  in  —  he  did  not  see 
that  it  was  the  vaquero  he  had  been  pursuing  all  this 
time  —  and  drove  a  dagger  into  the  brain  just  back 
of  the  horns.  Thus  that  particular  gust  of  rage  was 
wiped  out  of  existence  forever. 

Later,  when  the  camp-fires  burned  low,  the  pleasant 
odor  of  meat  broiling  upon  the  forked  ends  of  long, 
willow  branches  over  the  red  coals,  proved  how  even 
a  brindle  steer  may,  at  the  last,  in  every  savory  morsel 
have  justified  his  existence. 

Life  in  those  days  was  painted  upon  a  big  canvas, 
with  broad  sweep  of  brushes  dipped  in  vivid  colors.  Al 
though  the  branding  of  the  season's  calves  was  a  matter 
of  pure  business,  the  manner  in  which  that  work  was 
accomplished  was  a  spectacle  upon  which  we  of  the 
present  generation  would  give  much  to  look. 

When  the  sun  parted  the  fog  and  looked  down  in 
quisitively,  the  whole  valley  was  pulsing  with  life, 
alight  with  color.  The  first  real  work  of  the  rodeo  was 


WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK     209 

beginning,  like  the  ensemble  of  some  vast,  spectacular 
play;  and  the  stage  was  managed  by  Xature  herself, 
creator  of  the  harmony  of  colors.  The  dark,  glossy 
green  of  live  oak,  the  tender  green  of  new  willow  leaves, 
the  pale  green  of  the  mustard  half  buried  in  the  paler 
yellow  of  its  blossoms,  had  here  and  there  a  splash  of 
orange  and  blue,  where  the  poppies  were  refusing  to 
give  place  to  the  lupines  which  April  wished  to  leave 
for  May,  when  she  came  smiling  to  dwell  for  one  sweet 
month  in  the  valley.  The  poppies  had  had  their  day. 
March  had  brought  them,  and  then  had  gone  away  and 
left  them  for  the  April  showers  to  pelt  and  play  with ; 
and  now,  when  the  redwoods  on  the  mountainsides  were 
singing  that  May  was  almost  here,  a  whole  slope  of 
poppies  lingered  rebelliously  to  nod  and  peer  and  preen 
over  the  delights  of  the  valley  just  below.  The  lupines 
were  shaking  their  blue  heads  distressfully  at  the  im 
pertinence;  and  then  here  came  the  vaqueros  galloping, 
and  even  the  lupines  and  poppies  forgot  their  dispute 
in  the  excitement  of  watching  the  fun. 

As  the  roundups  of  our  modern  cattlemen  "  ride 
circle,"  so  did  those  velvet-jacketed,  silver-braided 
horsemen  gallop  forth  in  pairs  from  a  common  center 
that  was  the  chosen  rodeo  ground.  As  if  they  were 
tracing  the  invisible  spokes  of  a  huge  wheel  laid  flat 
and  filling  the  valley  from  mountain  range  to  mountain 


210  THE    GRINGOS 

range,  they  rode  out  until  they  had  reached  the  ap 
proximate  rim  of  the  circle.  Then,  turning,  they  rode 
more  slowly  back  to  the  rodeo  ground,  driving  before 
them  the  cattle  they  found  there. 

Not  cattle  only ;  here  and  there  an  antelope  herd  was 
caught  in  the  circle  and  ran  bewilderedly  toward  the 
common  center;  beautiful  creatures  with  great  eyes 
beseeching  the  human  things  to  be  kind,  even  while 
riatas  were  hissing  over  their  trembling  backs.  Many 
a  rider  rode  into  camp  with  an  antelope  haunch  tied 
to  his  gorgeous  red  and  black  saddle;  and  the  wooden 
spits  held  delicious  bits  of  antelope  steak  that  night, 
broiling  over  the  coals  while  the  vaqueros  sang  old 
Spanish  love-songs  to  lighten  the  time  of  waiting. 

A  gallant  company,  they.  A  care-free,  laughter- 
loving,  brave  company,  with  every  man  a  rider  to  make 
his  womenfolk  prate  of  his  skill  to  all  who  would 
listen ;  with  every  man  a  lover  of  love  and  of  life  and 
the  primitive  joys  of  life.  They  worked,  that  company, 
and  they  made  of  their  work  a  game  that  every  man 
of  them  loved  to  play.  And  Dade,  loving  the  things 
they  loved  and  living  the  life  they  lived,  speedily  for 
got  that  there  was  still  an  undercurrent  of  antagonism 
beneath  that  surface  of  work  and  play  and  jokes  and 
songs  and  impromptu  riding  and  roping  contests  (from 
which  Jose  Pacheco  was  laughingly  barred  because  of 


WHEN    CAMP-FIRES    BLINK     211 

his  skill  and  in  which  Bade  himself  was,  somehow, 
never  invited  to  join).  He  forgot  that  the  antagonism 
was  there  —  except  when  he  came  face  to  face  with 
Manuel,  perhaps,  or  when  he  chanced  to  see  on  the 
face  of  Jose  a  brooding  look  of  dissatisfaction,  and 
guessed  that  he  was  thinking  of  Jack  and  Teresita. 


CHAPTEE  XVI 


r  I  iHERE  must  have  been  a  good  deal  of  gossip 
JL  amongst  the  vaqueros  of  the  various  ranches,  as 
they  rode  on  circle  or  lay  upon  their  saddle  blankets 
around  the  evening  camp-fires.  As  is  ever  the  case 
when  a  man  is  young,  handsome,  rich,  and  holds  proudly 
the  gold  medal  which  proclaims  him  the  champion  of 
the  whole  State  —  the  golden  disk  which  many  a  young 
vaquero  longed  to  wrest  from  him  in  a  fair  test  of 
skill  —  there  were  those  who  would  rather  like  to  see 
Jose  humbled.  True,  they  would  never  choose  an  alien 
to  do  the  humbling,  and  the  possibility  was  discussed 
with  various  head-shakings  amongst  themselves. 

But  there  were  the  Picardo  vaqueros  stanchly 
swearing  by  all  the  saints  they  knew  that  these  two 
gringos  were  not  as  other  gringos;  that  these  two  were 
worthy  a  place  amongst  true  Californians.  Could  they 
not  see  that  this  Sefior  Hunter  was  as  themselves  ?  And 
he  was  not  more  Spanish  in  his  speech  and  his  ways 
than  was  the  Seiior  Allen,  albeit  the  Senor  Allen's  eyes 


'I    CHOOSE    RIATAS'         213 

were  blue  as  the  lupines,  and  his  hair  the  color  of  the 
madrona  bark  when  it  grows  dark  with  age  —  or  nearly 
the  color.  And  he  could  shoot,  that  blue-eyed  one! 

Valencia,  having  an  audience  of  a  dozen  or  more  one 
night,  grew  eloquent  upon  the  prowess  of  the  blue-eyed 
one.  And  the  audience,  listening,  vowed  that  they 
would  like  to  see  him  matched  against  Jose,  who  thought 
himself  supreme  in  everything. 

"  Not  in  fighting,"  amended  Valencia,  his  teeth 
gleaming  white  in  the  fire-glow,  as  he  leaned  to  pull  a 
brand  from  the  blaze  that  he  might  relight  the  cigarette 
which  had  gone  out  while  he  told  the  tale  of  that  run 
ning  fight,  when  the  two  Americanos  had  shamed  a 
whole  crowd  of  gringos  —  for  so  did  Valencia  make 
nice  distinction  of  names. 

"  Not  in  fighting,  amigos,  nor  yet  in  love !  And 
because  he  knows  that  it  is  so,  the  cheeks  of  Don  Jose 
hang  slack,  and  he  rides  with  chin  upon  his  breast, 
when  he  thinks  no  one  is  looking.  The  medalla  oro  is 
his,  yes.  But  he  would  gladly  give  it  for  that  which 
the  Senor  Allen  possesses.  Me,  I  think  that  the  Senor 
Allen  could  as  easily  win  also  the  medalla  oro  as  he 
has  won  the  other  prize."  There  was  a  certain  fineness 
in  Valencia  that  would  never  permit  his  tongue  to  fling 
the  name  of  the  Senorita  Teresa  amongst  these  vaqueros ; 
but  he  was  sure  that  they  caught  his  meaning. 


214  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Dios !  me,  I  should  like  to  see  him  try,"  cried  a 
tall  San  Vincente  rider,  shifting  his  position  to  ease  a 
cramp  in  his  long  leg;  and  his  tone  was  neither  con 
temptuous  nor  even  doubtful,  but  merely  eager  for  the 
excitement  there  would  be  in  the  spectacle. 

Some  one  in  the  shadows  turned  and  walked  quickly 
away  to  another  fire-glow  with  its  ring  of  Rembrandt 
figures  and  faces,  and  none  save  Valencia  knew  that 
it  was  Manuel  gone  to  tell  his  master  what  had  been 
said.  Valencia  smiled  while  he  smoked. 

Presently  Jose  was  listening  unwillingly  to  ManuePs 
spite-tinged  version  of  the  talk  at  the  San  Vincente 
camp.  "  The  vaqueros  are  making  a  mock  of  thy 
bravery  and  thy  skill !  "  Manuel  declared,  with  more 
passion  than  truth.  "  They  would  see  thee  beaten,  in 
fight  as  well  as  in  love  —  " 

The  stiffening  of  Jose's  whole  figure  stopped  Manuel 
short  but  not  dissatisfied,  for  he  saw  there  was  no  need 
that  he  should  speak  a  single  word  more  upon  the  sub 
ject. 

"  They  shall  see  him  try,  unless  he  is  a  coward." 
The  voice  of  Jose  was  muffled  by  the  rage  that  filled 
him. 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  Manuel  saddled  his  best 
mustang  within  an  hour  and  rode  away  to  the  north. 
And  when  Valencia  strolled  artlessly  to  the  Pacheco 


'I   CHOOSE    RIATAS'         215 

fire  and  asked  for  him,  Jose  hesitated  perceptibly  be 
fore  he  replied  that  Manuel  had  gone  home  with  a 
message  to  the  foreman  there. 

Valencia  grinned  his  widest  when  he  heard  that, 
and  over  two  cigarettes,  he  pondered  the  matter.  Being 
a  shrewd  young  man  with  an  instinct  for  nosing  out 
mysteries,  he  flung  all  uncertainty  away  with  the  stub 
of  his  second  cigarette  and  sought  Bade. 

He  found  him  standing  alone  beside  a  deep,  still  pool, 
staring  at  the  shadows  and  the  moon-painted  picture  in 
the  middle,  and  looking  as  if  his  thoughts  were  gone 
on  far  journeys.  Valencia  was  too  full  of  his  news  to 
heed  the  air  of  absolute  detachment  that  surrounded 
Dade.  He  went  straight  to  the  heart  of  his  subject 
and  as  a  precaution  against  eavesdropping  he  put  his 
meaning  into  the  best  English  he  knew. 

"  Jose,  she 's  dam-mad  on  Seiior  Jack,"  he  began 
eagerly.  "  She  's  hear  talk  lak  she  's  no  good  vaquero. 
Me,  I  hear  San  Vincente  vaqucros  talk,  and  Manuel 
she  's  hear  also  and  run  queeck  for  tella  Jose.  Jose 
she  's  lak  for  keela  Sefior  Jack.  Manuel,  she  's  ride 
lak  hell  for  say  Jose,  she  lak  for  fight  Senor  Jack. 
Me,  I  theenk  Senor  Jack  keela  Jose  pretty  dam- 
queeck !  " 

Dade  had  come  to  know  Valencia  very  well;  he 
turned  now  and  eyed  him  with  some  suspicion. 


216  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Are  you  sure  ? "  he  asked,  in  the  tone  that  de 
manded  a  truthful  answer.  He  had  seen  Manuel  ride 
away  in  the  white  light  of  the  moon,  and  he  had  won 
dered  a  little  and  then  had  forgotten  all  about  it  in  the 
spell  of  utter  loneliness  which  the  moon  brings  to  those 
who  are  cheated  by  Fate  from  holding  what  they  most 
desire. 

"  Sure,  me."  Valencia's  tone  was  convincingly 
positive.  "  Manuel,  she  's  go  lak  hell  for  tella  Senor 
Jack,  Jose,  she  's  lak  for  fight  duelo.  Sure.  That  's 
right." 

Dade  swung  back  and  stared  moodily  at  the  moon- 
painted  pool  where  the  trout,  deceived  by  the  brightness 
into  thinking  it  was  day,  started  widening  ripple-rings 
here  and  there,  where  they  nicked  the  surface  with 
slaty  noses;  and  the  wavering  rings  were  gold-tipped 
until  they  slid  into  the  shadows  and  were  lost.  Dade 
watched  three  rings  start  in  the  center  and  ripple  the 
whole  pool. 

"  How  quick  could  you  get  to  the  rancho  ?  "  he  asked 
abruptly,  just  as  Valencia's  spirits  were  growing  heavy 
with  disappointment.  "  Could  you  overtake  Manuel, 
do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Me,  I  could  with  the  caballo  which  I  have  in  mind 
—  Noches  —  I  could  pass  Manuel  upon  the  way,  though 
he  had  two  more  hours  the  start  of  me !  "  English  was 


'I    CHOOSE    RIATAS'         217 

too  slow  now  for  Valencia's  eagerness.  "  Manuel  is 
fat,  and  he  is  not  young,  and  he  will  not  ride  too  fast 
for  his  fat  to  endure.  Also  he  will  stop  at  the  Pacheco 
hacienda  for  breakfast,  and  to  rest  his  bones.  Me,  I 
can  be  at  the  rancho  two  hours  before  Manuel,  Senor." 

Valencia  was  not  a  deceitful  young  man,  as  deceit 
goes  j  but  he  wanted  very  much  to  be  sent  in  haste  to 
the  ranch,  for  he  was  itching  with  curiosity  to  know 
the  truth  of  this  matter  and  if  he  were  indeed  right. 
If  Manuel  had  gone  bearing  a  challenge  from  Jose  to 
the  Senor  Jack,  then  he  wanted  to  know  the  answer  as 
soon  as  possible.  Also  there  was  Felice,  the  daughter 
of  Carlos,  whose  lips  lured  him  with  their  sweetness. 
Truly,  Valencia  would  promise  any  miracle  of  speed. 

The  pool  lay  calm  as  the  face  of  a  dead  child.  Bade 
stooped  and  tossed  a  pebble  into  it  as  if  that  stillness 
troubled  him.  He  took  his  cigarette  from  his  lips, 
looked  at  the  glowing  tip,  and  over  it  at  the  eager 
face  of  Valencia. 

"  We  must  n't  let  them  fight.  Take  Noches  and  ride 
like  the  devil  was  at  your  heels.  Get  there  ahead  of 
Manuel  and  tell  Jack  —  "  He  stopped  there  and  bit 
his  lips  to  hurry  his  slow  thoughts.  "  Tell  Jack  he  must 
go  to  town  right  away,  because  —  well,  tell  him  Bill 
Wilson  —  " 

Valencia's  face  had  been  lengthening  comically,  but 


218  THE    GRINGOS 

hope  began  to  live  again  in  his  eyes.  "  If  the  senor 
would  write  what  he  wishes  to  say  while  I  am  making 
ready  for  the  start,  he  will  then  have  more  time  to 
think  of  what  is  best.  The  moon  will  ride  clear  to 
night;  and  the  sun  will  find  me  at  the  rancho,  Senor. 
Me,  I  have  ridden  Noches  one  hundred  miles  without 
rest,  before  now;  these  sixty  will  be  play  for  us  both." 

"  Gracias,  Valencia."  Bade  dropped  a  hand  grate 
fully  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  other.  "  I  '11  write  a 
note,  but  you  must  do  your  part  also.  You  know  your 
people,  and  I  know  Jack ;  if  those  two  fight,  the  trouble 
will  spread  like  fire  in  the  grass;  for  Don  Jose  has 
many  friends  to  take  up  the  quarrel.  You  've  had  a 
long  day  in  the  saddle,  amigo,  and  the  sixty  miles  will 
not  be  play.  I  would  not  ask  it  if  the  need  were  less 
urgent  —  but  you  must  beat  Manuel.  If  you  don't, 
Jack  will  accept  the  challenge;  and  once  he  does 
that  —  "  he  flung  out  both  hands  in  his  characteristic 
gesture  of  impatience  or  helplessness. 

"  Si,  Senor.  If  the  saints  permit,  Manuel  shall  not 
see  him  first."  It  was  like  Valencia  to  shift  the  re1 
sponsibility  from  his  own  conscience  to  the  shoulders 
of  the  saints,  for  now  he  could  ride  with  a  lighter  heart. 
Perhaps  he  was  even  sincere  when  he  made  the  promise ; 
but  there  were  sixty  miles  of  moonlight  in  which  his 
desire  could  ride  with  him  and  tempt  him;  and  of  a 


'I    CHOOSE    RIATAS'          219 

truth,  Valencia  did  greatly  desire  to  see  those  two  come 
together  in  combat ! 

The  saints  were  kind  to  Valencia,  but  they  were  also 
grimly  just.  Because  he  so  greatly  desired  an  excuse 
for  delay,  they  tricked  Noches  with  a  broken  willow 
branch  that  in  the  deceptive  moonlight  appeared  to  be 
but  the  shadow  of  the  branch  above  it.  It  caught  him 
just  under  an  outflung  knee  as  he  galloped  and  flipped 
him  neatly,  heels  to  the  stars.  He  did  not  struggle  to 
his  feet  even  when  Valencia  himself,  a  bit  dazed  by 
the  fall,  pulled  upon  the  reins  and  called  to  him  to  rise. 
The  horse  lay  inert,  a  steaming,  black  mass  in  the  road. 
The  moon  was  sliding  down  behind  the  Santa  Cruz 
Mountains,  and  the  chill  breeze  whispered  that  dawn 
was  coming  fast  upon  the  trail  of  the  moonbeams. 

Valencia,  when  he  saw  that  Noches  would  never  gal 
lop  again,  because  he  had  managed  to  break  his  sweat- 
lathered  neck  in  the  fall,  sat  down  beside  the  trail  and 
rolled  a  corn-husk  cigarette.  His  mood  swung  from 
regret  over  the  passing  of  as  fleet  and  true  a  horse  as 
ever  he  bestrode,  to  gratitude  to  the  saints  for  their 
timely  hindrance  of  his  prompt  delivery  of  the  note. 
Truly  it  was  now  no  fault  of  his  that  he  could  never 
reach  the  hacienda  before  Manuel!  He  would  have 
to  walk  and  carry  his  saddle,  heavy  with  silver  and 
wide  skirts  of  stamped  leather;  and  he  was  a  long 


220  THE    GRINGOS 

way  from  the  end  of  his  journey,  when  he  must  cover 
the  distance  with  his  own  feet.  Eight  or  ten  miles, 
he  estimated  it  roughly;  for  he  had  passed  Jose's 
hacienda  some  time  before,  and  had  resisted  the  temp 
tation  to  turn  aside  and  find  out  if  Manuel  were  there 
or  had  gone  on.  He  had  not  passed  Manuel  in  the 
trail  as  he  had  boasted  that  he  would  do,  and  not  once 
had  he  glimpsed  him  anywhere,  though  there  had  been 
places  where  the  road  lay  straight,  and  he  could  see  it 
clear  in  the  moonlight  for  a  mile  or  more. 

When  he  had  finished  the  cigarette  and  his  thanks 
to  Fate  —  or  whatever  power  had  delayed  him  —  he 
removed  his  saddle  and  bridle  from  the  horse  and  went 
on;  and  it  was  then  that  he  began  to  understand  that 
he  must  do  a  penance  for  desiring  war  rather  than 
peace  amongst  his  fellows.  Valencia,  after  the  first 
hour  of  tramping  with  his  saddle  on  his  shoulders, 
had  lost  a  good  deal  of  his  enthusiasm  for  the  duel  he 
felt  sure  was  already  a  certainty. 

When  he  left  the  road  for  a  straight  cut  to 
the  hacienda,  the  wild  range  cattle  hindered  him 
with  their  curiosity,  so  that,  using  all  the  methods 
known  to  a  seasoned  vaquero  for  driving  them  back, 
his  progress  had  been  slow.  But  he  finally  came  out 
into  the  road  again  and  was  plodding  along  the  stone 
wall  within  half  a  mile  of  the  house,  his  face  very 


'I    CHOOSE    RIATAS'          221 

disconsolate  because  of  his  protesting  feet  and  the 
emptiness  in  his  stomach,  when  Manuel  himself  con 
fronted  him  suddenly  coming  from  the  house. 

Manuel  was  looking  well  pleased  with  himself,  in 
spite  of  his  night  ride.  He  pulled  up  and  stared  wide- 
eyed  at  Valencia,  who  had  no  smile  with  which  to 
greet  him  but  swore  instead  a  pensive  oath. 

"  Dios !  Is  it  for  a  wager  that  you  travel  thus  ?  " 
grinned  Manuel,  abominably  comfortable  upon  a  great, 
sorrel  horse  that  pranced  all  round  Valencia  in  its 
anxiety  to  be  upon  its  way  home.  "  Look  you,  Valencia ! 
Since  you  are  traveling,  you  had  best  go  and  tell  the 
padres  to  make  ready  the  sacrament  for  your  gringo 
friend,  that  blue-eyed  one;  for  truly  his  time  on  earth 
is  short !  " 

Valencia,  at  that,  looked  up  into  Manuel's  face  and 
smiled  in  spite  of  the  pain  in  his  feet  and  the  emptiness 
in  his  stomach. 

"  Does  it  please  you,  then,  Valencia  ?  All  night  I 
rode  to  bear  a  message  to  that  blue-eyed  one  who  thinks 
himself  supremo  in  all  things;  a  challenge  from  Don 
Jose,  to  fight  a  duelo  if  he  is  not  a  coward ;  so  did  Joso 
write.  '  Unless  you  are  afraid  to  meet  me  '  —  and  the 
vanity  of  that  blue-eyed  one  is  great,  Valencia.  Of  a 
truth,  the  man  is  loco.  What  think  you,  Valencia? 
He  had  the  right  to  choose  the  weapons  —  and  Jose 


222  THE    GRINGOS 

believed  that  he  would  choose  those  pistols  of  which 
you  make  so  much  talk.  Madre  de  Dios !  What  says 
the  blue-eyed  one,  then?  —  and  laughed  in  my  face 
while  he  spoke  the  words !  '  Go  tell  Don  Jose  I  will 
fight  him  whenever  and  wherever  he  likes;  and  for 
weapons  I  choose  riatas.'  Heard  you  anything  —  " 

"  Riatas !  "  Valencia's  jaw  dropped  an  inch  before 
he  remembered  that  Manuel's  eyes  were  sharp  and 
eager  to  read  the  thoughts  of  a  man  in  the  twitching 
muscles  of  his  face. 

"  Si,  riatas !  "  Manuel's  whole  fat  body  shook  with 
laughter.  "  Even  you,  who  are  wholly  bewitched  by 
those  gringos,  even  you  are  dismayed!  Tell  me, 
Valencia,  have  you  seen  him  lasso  anything  ?  " 

But  Valencia,  having  pulled  himself  together,  merely 
lifted  his  shoulders  and  smiled  wisely,  so  that  even 
Manuel  was  almost  deceived  into  believing  that  Valen 
cia's  faith  was  great  because  it  was  built  upon  a 
secret  knowledge  of  what  the  blue-eyed  one  could  do. 

"  Me,  I  heard  you  boasting  to  those  San  Vincente 
vaqueros,"  Manuel  accused,  shifting  the  talk  to  gen 
eralities.  "  And  the  Senor  Hunter  boasts  also  that  the 
blue-eyed  one  is  supremo  with  the  riata,  as  he  is  with 
everything  else !  "  The  tone  of  Manuel  was  exceeding 
bitter.  "  Well,  he  will  have  the  chance  to  prove  what 
he  can  do.  ~No  gringo  can  come  among  us  Californians 


'I    CHOOSE    RIATAS'          223 

and  flap  the  wings  and  crow  upon  the  tule  thatch  for 
naught.  There  has  been  overmuch  crowing,  Valencia. 
Me,  I  am  glad  that  hoaster  must  do  something  more 
than  crow  upon  the  thatch,  Valencia !  " 

"  Si,  there  has  heen  overmuch  crowing,"  Valencia 
retorted,  giving  to  his  smile  the  lift  that  made  it  a 
sneer,  "  but  the  thatch  has  not  been  of  Picardo  tules. 
Me,  I  think  they  grew  within  hearing  of  the  mission 
bells  of  Santa  Clara !  And  the  gallo  [rooster]  which 
crows  is  old  and  fat,  and  feeds  too  much  upon  the 
grapes  that  are  sour !  Adios !  I  must  haste  to  give 
congratulations  to  the  Senor  Jack,  that  he  will  have 
opportunity  to  wring  the  necks  of  those  loud-crowing 
gallos  of  the  Pacheco  thatches." 

Whereupon  he  picked  up  his  saddle  and  walked  on, 
very  straight  in  the  back  and  patently  unashamed  of 
the  injustice  of  his  charge;  for  it  was  the  crowing  of 
Valencia  himself  beside  the  San  Vincente  camp-fire 
that  had  brought  Manuel  with  the  message,  and  Valen 
cia  knew  that  perfectly  well. 

The  family  of  Don  Andres  had  been  breakfasting 
upon  the  wide  veranda  when  Manuel  strode  grimly 
across  the  patio  and  confronted  them.  They  were  still 
seated  there  when  Valencia,  having  deposited  his  rid 
ing  gear  at  the  saddle-hut,  limped  to  the  stops  and  stood 
with  his  sunny  smile  upon  his  face  and  his  sombrero 


224  THE    GRINGOS 

brim  trailing  the  dust.  It  seemed  to  Valencia  that  the 
don  was  displeased;  he  read  it  in  the  set  of  his  head, 
in  the  hardness  that  was  in  his  glance,  in  a  certain  in 
flexible  quality  of  his  voice. 

"  Ah,  Valencia,"  he  said,  rising  as  if  the  interrup 
tion  was  to  put  an  end  to  his  lingering  there,  "  you  also 
seem  to  have  ridden  in  haste  from  the  rodeo.  Truly, 
I  think  that  same  rodeo  has  been  but  the  breeding- 
ground  of  gossip  and  ill-feeling,  and  is  like  to  bear 
bitter  fruit.  Well,  you  have  a  message,  I  '11  warrant. 
What  is  it «  " 

Valencia's  mien  was  respectful  almost  to  the  point 
of  humility.  "  The  majordomo  sent  me  with  a  letter, 
which  I  was  to  deliver  into  the  hands  of  the  Senor  Al 
len,"  he  said  simply.  "  My  hope  was  that  I  might  arrive 
before  Manuel  "  —  he  caught  a  flicker  of  wrath  in 
the  eyes  of  the  don  at  the  name  and  smiled  inwardly 
—  "  but  the  moonlight  played  tricks  upon  the  trail,  and 
my  caballo  tripped  upon  a  willow-branch  and  fell  upon 
his  head  so  that  his  neck  was  twisted.  I  was  forced 
to  walk  and  carry  the  saddle,  and  there  were  times  when 
the  cattle  interrupted  with  their  foolish  curiosity,  and 
I  must  stop  and  set  the  riata  hissing  to  frighten  them 
back,  else  they  would  perchance  have  trampled  me.  So 
I  fear  that  I  arrive  too  late,  Don  Andres.  But  truly 
I  did  my  best ;  a  full  hour,  behind  Manuel,  I*  started, 


"I    CHOOSE    RIATAS'          225 

and  have  walked  ten  miles  of  the  sixty.  The  saints 
know  well  —  " 

Don  Andres  checked  his  apologies  with  a  wave  of 
the  hand,  and  sat  down  somewhat  heavily  in  his  favorite 
chair,  as  if  he  were  tired,  though  the  day  was  but 
fairly  begun. 

"  We  do  not  doubt  your  zeal/7  he  observed  dryly. 
"  Give  the  letter  to  the  senor  and  begone  to  your  break 
fast.  And/7  he  added  impressively,  "  wait  you  and 
rest  well  until  the  answer  is  ready ;  for  perchance  there 
will  be  further  need  to  test  the  kindness  of  the  saints  — 
and  the  speed  of  a  horse/' 

Valencia  fumbled  within  his  sash  and  brought  forth 
the  small,  folded  square  of  paper,  went  up  two  steps 
.*  and  placed  it  in  Jack's  upturned  palm,  gave  Jack  also 
a  glance  more  kindly  and  loyal  than  ever  he  had  re 
ceived  from  that  minx,  Teresita,  and  went  away  to 
the  vaqueros'  quarters.  Valencia  had  learned  nothing 
from  the  meeting,  except  that  the  don  was  in  one  of 
his  rare  fits  of  ill-temper. 

"  Yet  I  know  that  there  will  be  a  duelo/'  he  com 
forted  himself  with  thinking,  as  he  limped  wearily 
across  the  patio.  "  The  face  of  the  patron  is  black  be 
cause  of  it,  and  a  little  devil-flame  burns  in  the  eyes 
of  the  senorita  because  for  love  of  her  men  would 
fight  —  (Such  is  the  way  of  women,  to  joy  in  those 


226  THE    GRINGOS 

things  which  should  give  them  fear !)  —  and  the 
senora's  face  is  sagged  with  worry,  and  Seiior  Jack  — 
ah,  there  is  the  fighting  look  in  those  eyes !  Never  have 
I  seen  them  so  dark :  like  the  bay  when  a  storm  is  riding 
upon  the  wind.  And  it  will  be  riatas  —  for  so  Manuel 
told  me.  Me,  I  will  wager  my  saddle  upon  the  Senor 
Jack,  even  though  riatas  be  the  weapons.  For  he  is 
wily,  that  blue-eyed  one ;  never  would  he  choose  the  raw 
hide  unless  he  knew  its  hiss  as  he  knows  his  own  heart 
beats.  Let  it  be  riatas,  then,  if  so  the  senor  chooses ! " 


CHAPTEK  XVII 

A  FIESTA  WE  SHALL  HAVE 

JACK,  unfolding  the  crumpled  paper,   read  twice 
the  note  from  Dade,  and  at  each  reading  gave  a 
little  snort.    He  folded  the  paper,  unfolded  it  and  read 
again : 

14  DEAR  JACK, 

"  If  Jose  wants  to  fight,  take  a  fool's  advice  and  don't.  Bet 
ter  quit  the  ranch  and  go  back  to  town  for  a  while  — Valencia  will 
get  there  ahead  of  Manuel,  he  says,  and  you  can  pull  out  before 
Manuel  shows  up.  A  licking  might  do  Jose  good,  but  it  would  stir 
up  a  lot  of  trouble  and  raise  hell  all  around,  so  crawl  into  any  hole 
you  come  to.  I  '11  quit  as  soon  as  rodeo  is  over,  and  meet  you  in 
town.  Now  don't  be  bull-headed.  Let  your  own  feelings  go  into 
the  discard  for  once,  and  do  what's  best  for  the  whole  valley.  Every 
thing  's  going  smooth  here.  Noah's  dove  ain't  got  any  the  best  of  me 
and  Jose,  and  the  boys  are  working  fine. 

"DADE." 

"  At  least  your  majordomo  agrees  with  you,  Don 
Andres,"  he  said,  twisting  the  note  unthinkingly  in 
his  fingers.  "  Dade  wants  me  to  sneak  off  to  town  and 
hide  in  Bill  Wilson's  cellar."  There  was  more  resent 
ment  in  his  tone  than  the  note  itself  had  put  there ;  for 
the  argument  which  Valencia  had  unwittingly  inter 
rupted  had  been  threatening  to  become  acrimonious. 


228  THE    GRINGOS 

"  My  majordomo,"  replied  Don  Andres,  his  habitual 
courtesy  just  saving  the  words  from  becoming  a  retort, 
"  continues  to  show  that  rare  good  sense  which  first 
attracted  me  to  him.'7 

The  senora  moved  uneasily  in  her  chair  and  smiled 
deprecatingly  at  Jack,  then  imploringly  at  her  husband. 
This  was  washing  day,  and  those  shiftless  ones  within 
would  overlook  half  the  linen  unless  she  was  on  the 
spot  to  watch  and  direct.  But  these  two  had  come  to 
their  first  clash  of  wills,  and  her  husband  had  little 
liking  for  such  firm  defiance  of  his  wishes.  Well  she 
knew  the  little  weather-signs  in  his  face.  When  his 
eyebrows  took  just  that  tilt,  and  when  the  nostrils  were 
drawn  in  and  quivered  with  his  breathing,  then  was  it 
wise  that  she  should  remain  by  his  side.  The  senora 
knew  well  that  words  are  never  so  harsh  between  the 
male  of  our  species  when  their  women  are  beside  them. 
So,  suffering  mental  torment  because  of  the  careless 
peonas,  she,  nevertheless,  sent  Teresita  after  the  fine, 
linen  apron  from  which  she  meant  to  remove  a  whole, 
two  inches  of  woof  for  the  new  pattern  of  drawnwork 
which  the  Donna  Lucia  had  sent  her.  She  would  re 
main  as  a  buffer  between  these  two  whose  eyes  were  too 
hard  when  they  looked  at  each  other. 

"  It  seems  a  pity  that  young  men  nowadays  cannot 
contain  themselves  without  quarreling/'  sighed  the 


A  FIESTA  WE  SHALL  HAVE    229 

seiiora,  acting  upon  the  theory  that  anger  is  most  dan 
gerous  when  it  is  silent,  and  so  giving  the  conversational 
ball  a  push. 

"  Is  there  no  way,  Senor,  in  which  you  might  avert 
this  trouble  ?  Truly  it  saddens  me  to  think  of  it, 
for  Jose  has  been  as  my  own  son.  His  mother  and  I 
were  as  twin  sisters,  Sefior,  and  his  mother  prayed  me 
to  watch  over  him  when  she  had  gone.  '  Si,  madre 
mi  a '  would  he  tell  me,  when  I  gave  him  the  good 
counsel.  And  now  he  comes  no  more,  and  he  wants  to 
fight  the  duelo !  Is  there  no  way,  Senor  ?  " 

The  hardness  left  Jack's  lips  but  not  his  eyes,  while 
he  looked  from  her  to  the  don,  smoking  imperturbably 
his  cigar  beside  her. 

"  There  is  no  way,  Seiiora,  except  for  a  coward.  I 
have  done  what  I  could ;  I  know  that  Jose's  skill  is 
great  with  riatas,  and  the  choice  was  mine.  I  might 
have  said  pistols,"  he  reminded  her  gently,  but  with 
meaning. 

The  plump  hands  of  the  seiiora  went  betrayingly  into 
the  air  and  her  ear-rings  tinkled  with  the  horror  that 
shook  her  cushiony  person.  "  Not  pistols  !  No,  no  — 
for  then  Jose  would  surely  be  killed  !  Gracias,  Senor ! 
With  riatas  my  Jose  can  surely  give  good  account  of 
himself.  Three  times  has  he  won  the  medalla  oro  in 
fair  contest.  He  is  a  wizard  with  the  rawhide.  My- 


230  THE    GRINGOS 

self,  I  have  wept  with  pride  to  see  him  throw  it  at  the 
fiestas  —  " 

"  Mother  mine,  Margarita  would  have  you  come  at 
once,"  the  sefiorita  interrupted  her.  "  Little  Fran 
cisco  has  burned  his  legs  with  hot  water,  and  Margarita 
thinks  that  your  poultice  —  " 

With  twittering  exclamations  of  dismay  over  the, 
accident  the  two  women  hurried  away  to  minister  to 
the  hurned  legs  of  Francisco,  and  Jack  rose  and  flung 
away  his  cigarette.  His  mouth  had  again  the  stubborn 
look  which  Dade  knew  so  well,  and  dreaded  also. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  this  unpleasantness,"  he  said  per 
functorily,  stopping  before  Don  Andres.  "  But  as  I 
told  the  senora,  I  have  done  all  that  I  can  do.  I  have 
named  riatas.  I  don't  think  even  you,  Don  Andres, 
could  ask  more  of  me.  Surely  you  would  n't  want  to 
know  that  your  roof  had  sheltered  a  coward  ?  " 

Don  Andres  waved  away  the  challenge  which  the 
question  carried.  "  Still,  it  seems  a  pity  that  my  family 
must  be  made  the  subject  of  gossip  because  of  the  fool 
ishness  of  two  young  men,"  he  said  doggedly,  return 
ing  to  his  argument.  "  They  will  say  that  it  is  because 
of  my  daughter  that  you  fight;  and  the  friendship  of 
years  must  be  set  aside  while  two  hot-heads  vent  their 
silly  spite  —  " 

"  It  need  not."    Jack's  head  went  up  an  inch.    "  I 


A  FIESTA  WE   SHALL  HAVE    231 

can  leave  your  employ,  Don  Andres,  at  any  moment. 
There  is  no  need  for  you  to  be  caught  between  the 
duties  of  hospitality  and  those  of  friendship.  I  can  do 
anything  —  I  am  willing  to  do  anything  —  except  crawl 
into  a  hole,  as  Dade  wrote  for  me  to  do."  A  fine, 
spirited  picture  he  made,  standing  there  with  the  flames 
of  wrath  in  his  eyes  and  with  neck  stiff  and  his  jaws 
set  hard  together. 

Don  Andres  looked  up  at  him  with  secret  approval. 
He  did  not  love  a  coward,  and  truly,  this  young  fellow 
was  brave.  And  Jose  had  deliberately  sought  the  quar 
rel  from  the  first;  justice  compelled  him  to  remember 
that. 

"  If  it  might  be  arranged  —  "  The  don  was  studying 
the  situation  and  the  man  together.  "  Almost  have  I 
grasped  the  thread  that  will  unravel  the  whole.  No,  no ! 
I  do  not  mean  your  going,  Sefior.  That  would  but 
limber  the  tongue  of  scandal ;  and  besides,  I  do  not  mean 
that  I  withdraw  my  friendship  from  you.  A  man  must 
be  narrow,  indeed,  if  he  cannot  carry  more  than  one 
friendship  in  his  soul. 

"  Sit  you  down,  Seiior,  while  I  think  a  moment,"  he 
urged.  "  Surely  it  can  be  arranged  without  hurt  to  the 
fair  name  of  —  of  any.  Riatas  —  ah,  now  I  have  it, 
Sefior!  Dullard,  not  to  have  thought  of  it  at  once! 
Truly  must  I  be  in  iny  dotage !  "  He  did  not  mean 


232  THE    GRINGOS 

that,  of  course,  and  he  was  quite  openly  pleased  when 
Jack  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"  Listen,  Senor,  and  tell  me  if  the  plan  is  not  a  good 
one !  To-morrow  Valencia  shall  ride  back  to  the  rodeo, 
with  a  message  to  all  from  me,  Don  Andres  Picardo. 
I  shall  proclaim  a  fiesta,  Senor  —  such  a  fiesta  as  even 
Monterey  never  rivaled  in  the  good  old  days  when  we 
were  subject  to  his  Majesty,  the  King.  A  fiesta  we  shall 
have,  as  soon  as  may  be  after  the  rodeo  is  over.  There 
will  be  sports  such  as  you  Americanos  know  nothing  of, 
Senor.  And  there  openly,  before  all  the  people,  you 
shall  contest  with  Jose  for  a  prize  which  I  shall  give, 
and  for  the  medalla  oro  if  you  will ;  for  you  shall 
have  the  privilege  of  challenging  Jose,  the  champion, 
to  contest  for  the  medalla.  And  there  will  be  a  prize  — 
and  I  doubt  not  —  "  He  was  thinking  that  there  would 
probably  be  two  prizes,  though  only  one  which  he  could 
proclaim  publicly. 

"  Myself,  I  shall  write  to  Jose"  and  beg  him  to  con 
sider  the  honor  of  his  father's  name  and  of  the  name 
of  his  father's  friend,  and  consent  that  the  duelo  shall 
take  place  under  the  guise  of  sport.  It  must  not  be 
to  the  death,  Senor.  Myself,  I  shall  insist  that  it  shall 
not  be  to  the  death.  Before  all  the  people,  and  women, 
and  ninos  —  and  besides,  I  do  not  wish  that  Jose 
should  — "  There  again  he  checked  himself,  and 


A  FIESTA  WE  SHALL  HAVE    233 

Jack's  lips  twitched  at  the  meaning  he  read  into  the 
break. 

"  But  if  there  should  be  an  accident  ?  "  Jack's  eyes 
probed  for  the  soul  of  the  old  man ;  the  real  soul  of  the 
Spanish  grandee  under  the  broad-minded,  easy-natured, 
Californian  gentleman.  He  probed,  and  he  thought 
he  found  what  he  was  seeking;  he  thought  it  showed 
for  just  an  instant  in  his  eyes  and  in  the  upward  lift 
of  his  white  mustache. 

"  An  accident  would  be  deplorable,  Seiior,"  he  said. 
"  We  will  hope  that  there  will  be  no  accident.  Still, 
Jose  is  a  very  devil  when  the  riata  is  hissing  over  his 
head,  and  he  rides  recklessly.  Senor,  permit  me  to 
warn  you  that  Jose  is  a  demon  in  the  saddle.  Not 
for  nothing  does  he  hold  the  medalla  oro." 

"  Gracias,  Don  Andres.  I  shall  remember,"  said 
Jack,  and  walked  away  to  the  stables. 

He  felt  that  the  heart  of  Don  Andres  Picardo  was 
warring  with  his  intelligence.  That  although  his  wide 
outlook  and  his  tolerance  would  make  friends  of  the 
gringos  and  of  the  new  government  —  and  quite  sin 
cerely  —  still,  the  heart  of  him  was  true  Spanish ;  and 
the  fortunes  of  his  own  blood-kin  would  send  it  beating 
fast  or  slow  in  sympathy,  while  his  brain  weighed 
nicely  the  ethics  of  the  struggle.  Jack  was  not  much 
given  to  analyzing  the  inner  workings  of  a  man's  mind 


234  THE    GRINGOS 

and  heart,  but  he  carried  with  him  a  conviction  that  it 
was  so. 

He  hunted  up  Diego,  and  found  him  putting  a  deal 
of  gratuitous  labor  upon  the  silver  trimmings  of  the 
new  saddle.  Diego  being  the  peon  in  whose  behalf 
Jack  had  last  winter  interfered  with  Perkins,  his 
gratitude  took  the  form  of  secret  polishings  upon  the 
splendid  riding-gear,  the  cleaning  of  Jack's  boots  and 
such  voluntary  services.  Now  the  silver  crescents 
which  Teresita  ridiculed  were  winking  up  at  him  to 
show  they  could  grow  no  brighter,  and  he  was  attacking 
vigorously  the  "  milky  way  "  that  rode  behind  the  high 
cantle.  Diego  grinned  bashfully  when  Jack's  shadow 
flung  itself  across  the  saddle  and  so  announced  his 
coming,  and  stood  up  and  waited  humbly  before  the 
white  senor  who  had  fought  for  him,  a  mere  peon,  born 
to  kicks  and  cursings  rather  than  to  kindness,  and  so 
had  won  the  very  soul  of  him. 

"  Bueno,"  praised  Jack  patronizingly.  "  Now  I  have 
some  real  work  for  you,  Diego,  and  it  must  be  done 
quickly  and  well." 

"  Gracias,  Senor,"  murmured  Diego,  abashed  by 
such  favor,  and  bowed  low  before  his  god. 

"  The  riata  must  be  dressed  now,  Diego,  and  dressed 
until  it  is  soft  as  a  silken  cord,  sinuous  as  the  green 
snakes  that  live  in  the  streams,  and  not  one  strand  must 


A  FIESTA  WE   SHALL  HAVE    235 

be  frayed  and  weakened.  Sabe?  Too  long  have  I 
neglected  to  have  it  done,  and  now  it  must  be  done  in 
haste  —  and  done  well.  Can  you  dress  it  so  that  it  will 
be  the  most  perfect  riata  in  California,  Diego  ?  "  A 
twinkle  was  in  Jack's  eyes,  but  Diego  was  too  dazzled 
by  the  graciousness  of  his  god  to  see  it  there.  He  made 
obeisance  more  humble  than  before. 

"  Si,  Seiior,"  he  promised  breathlessly.  "  Never 
has  riata  been  dressed  as  this  riata  shall  be.  By  the 
Holy  Mother  I  swear  it." 

"  Bueno.  For  listen !  Much  may  hang  upon  the 
strength  and  the  softness  of  it."  He  fixed  his  eyes 
sternly  upon  the  abject  one.  "  It  may  mean  my  life  or 
my  death,  Diego.  For  in  a  contest  with  Don  Jose 
Pacheco  will  I  use  it." 

"  Si,  Senor,"  gasped  Diego,  awed  into  trembling. 
"  By  my  soul  I  swear  —  " 

"  You  need  n't.  Save  some  of  your  energy  for  the 
rawhide.  You  '11  want  all  you  've  got  before  you  're 
through."  Jack,  having  made  an  impression  deep 
enough  to  satisfy  the  most  exacting  of  masters,  dropped 
to  his  natural  tone  and  speech.  "  Get  some  one  to  help, 
and  come  with  me  to  the  orchard." 

From  the  saddle-house  he  brought  the  six-strand,  raw 
hide  riata  which  Manuel  had  bought  for  him  and  which 
his  carelessness  had  left  still  stiff  and  unwieldy,  and 


236  THE    GRINGOS 

walked  slowly  into  the  orchard,  examining  critically 
each  braided  strand  as  he  went.  Manuel,  he  decided, 
was  right ;  the  riata  was  perfect. 

Diego,  trailing  two  horsehair  ropes  and  carrying  a 
stout,  smooth  stick  of  oak  that  had  evidently  been  used 
before  for  the  work,  came  running  after  Jack  as  if  he 
were  going  to  put  out  a  fire.  Behind  him  trotted  a 
big,  muscular  peon  who  saw  not  half  the  reason  for 
haste  that  blazoned  itself  across  the  soul  of  Diego. 

Thus  the  three  reached  the  orchard,  where  Jack 
selected  two  pear  trees  that  happened  to  stand  a  few 
feet  more  than  the  riata  length  apart ;  and  Diego,  slip 
ping  a  hair  rope  through  the  hondo  of  the  riata,  made 
fast  the  rope  to  a  pear  tree.  The  other  end  he  tied 
to  the  second  hair  rope,  drew  the  riata  taut  and  tied 
the  rope  securely  to  the  second  tree.  He  picked  up  the 
oaken  stick,  examined  it  critically  for  the  last  time, 
although  he  knew  well  that  it  was  polished  smooth  as 
glass  from  its  work  on  other  riatas,  twisted  the  riata 
once  around  it  and  signed  to  the  other  peon. 

Each  grasping  an  end  of  the  stick  and  throwing  all 
their  weight  against  it,  they  pushed  it  before  them 
along  the  stretched  riata.  As  they  strained  toward  the 
distant  pear  tree  the  rawhide  smoked  with  the  friction 
of  the  stick  in  the  twist.  It  was  killing  work,  that 
first  trip  from  tree  to  tree,  but  Diego  joyed  in  thus 


A  FIESTA  WE  SHALL  HAVE    237 

serving  his  blue-eyed  god.  As  for  the  other,  Roberto, 
he  strained  stolidly  along  the  line,  using  the  strength 
that  belonged  to  his  master  the  patron  just  as  matter- 
of-factly  as  he  had  used  it  since  he  was  old  enough  to 
be  called  a  man. 

Jack,  leaning  against  a  convenient  tree  in  the  next 
row,  smoked  a  cigarette  and  watched  their  slow,  toil 
some  progress.  Killing  work  it  was,  but  the  next  trip 
would  be  easier  after  that  rendering  of  the  stiff  tissue. 
When  the  stick  touched  the  hondo,  the  two  stopped  and 
panted  for  a  minute;  then  Diego  grasped  his  end  of 
the  stick  and  signaled  the  return  trip.  Again  it  took 
practically  every  ounce  of  strength  they  had  in  their 
muscular  bodies,  but  they  could  move  steadily  now, 
instead  of  in  straining,  spasmodic  jerks.  The  rawhide 
sizzled  where  it  curled  around  the  stick.  They  reached 
the  end  and  stopped,  and  Jack  commanded  them  to  sit 
down  and  have  a  smoke  before  they  did  more. 

"  It  is  nothing,  Senor.  We  can  continue,  since  the 
senor  has  need  of  haste,"  panted  Diego,  brushing  from 
his  eyes  the  sweat  that  dripped  from  his  eyebrows. 

"  Not  such  haste  that  you  need  to  kill  yourselves  at 
it,"  grinned  Jack,  and  went  to  examine  the  riata.  Those 
two  trips  had  accomplished  much  towards  making  it  a 
pliable,  live  thing  in  the  hands  of  one  skilled  to  direct 
its  snaky  dartings  here  and  there,  wherever  one  willed 


238  THE    GRINGOS 

it  to  go.  Many  trips  it  would  require  before  the  riata 
was  perfect,  and  then  — 

"  The  senor  is  early  at  his  prayers,"  observed  a  soft, 
mocking  voice  behind  him. 

Jack  dropped  the  riata  and  turned,  his  whole  face 
smiling  a  welcome.  But  Teresita  was  in  one  of  her  per 
verse  moods  and  the  mockery  was  not  all  in  her  voice; 
her  eyes  were  maddeningly  full  of  it  as  she  looked  from 
him  to  the  stretched  riata. 

"  The  senor  is  wise  to  tell  the  twists  in  his  riata 
as  I  tell  my  beads  —  a  prayer  for  each,"  she  cooed. 
"  For  truly  he  will  need  the  prayers,  and  a  riata  that 
will  perform  miracles  of  its  own  accord,  if  he  would 
fight  Jose  with  rawhide."  There  was  the  little  twist 
of  her  lips  afterward  which  Jack  had  come  to  know 
well  and  to  recognize  as  a  bull  recognizes  the  red  serape 
of  the  matador. 

"  Senor,"  she  added  impressively,  holding  back  her 
hair  from  blowing  across  her  face  and  gazing  at  him 
wide-eyed,  with  a  wicked  assumption  of  guileless  inno 
cence,  "  at  the  Mission  San  Jose  there  is  a  very  old 
and  very  wise  woman.  She  lives  in  a  tule  hut  behind 
the  very  walls  of  the  Mission,  and  the  Indians  go  to 
her  by  night  when  dreams  have  warned  them  that  death 
threatens.  She  is  a  terribly  wise  old  woman,  Senor,  for 
she  can  look  into  the  past  and  part  the  curtain  which 


A  FIESTA  WE   SHALL  HAVE    239 

hides  the  future.  For  gold  will  she  part  it.  And  for 
gold  will  she  put  the  curse  or  the  blessing  where  curse 
or  blessing  is  needed  most.  Go  you  to  the  old  woman 
and  have  her  put  a  blessing  upon  the  riata  when  it  is 
dressed  and  you  have  prayed  your  prayers  upon  it, 
Seiior!  For  five  pesos  will  she  bless  it  and  command 
it  to  fly  straight  wherever  the  sefior  desires  that  it  shall 
fly.  Then  can  you  meet  Jose  and  not  tremble  so  that 
the  spur-bells  tinkle." 

Jack  went  hot  inside  of  him,  but  he  made  his  lips 
smile  at  the  jest ;  for  so  do  brave  men  try  to  make  light 
of  torment,  whether  it  be  fire  or  flood  or  the  tongue 
of  the  woman  they  love. 

"  All  right,"  he  said.  "  And  I  think  I  '11  have  the 
judges  rule  that  the  fight  shall  be  at  fifty  paces,  as  I 
would  if  we  were  to  fight  with  pistols."  He  tried  to 
keep  his  irritation  out  of  his  voice,  but  there  must  have 
been  enough  to  betray  him. 

For  Teresita  smiled  pleasedly  and  sent  another  barb. 
"  It  would  be  wise.  For  truly,  Jose's  equal  has  never 
been  seen,  and  caballeros  I  have  known  who  would 
swear  that  Jose's  riata  can  stretch  to  fifty  paces  and 
more  to  find  its  mark." 

"  Is  it  anxiety  for  me  that  makes  you  so  solicitous  ?  " 
demanded  Jack,  speaking  low  so  that  the  peons  could 
not  overhear. 


240  THE   GRINGOS 

"  Perhaps  —  and  perhaps  it  is  pride ;  for  I  know 
well  the  skill  and  the  bravery  of  my  Jose."  Again 
the  twist  of  her  pretty,  pouting  lips,  blood-red  and 
tempting. 

Her  Jose!  For  just  a  minute  the  face  of  Teresita 
showed  vague  to  him  before  his  wrathful  eyes. 

"  When  you  tell  your  beads  again,  Senorita,"  he  ad 
vised  her  crisply,  "  say  a  prayer  or  two  for  your  Jose 
also.  For  I  promise  you  now  that  I  will  shame  him 
before  your  face,  and  if  he  lives  afterward  to  seek  your 
sympathy,  it  will  be  by  grace  of  my  mercy !  " 

"  Santa  Maria,  what  a  fierce  sefior !  "  Her  laughter 
mocked  him.  "  Till  the  fiesta  I  shall  pray  —  for 
you !  "  Then  she  turned  and  ran,  looking  over  her 
shoulder  now  and  again  to  laugh  at  him. 

Always  before,  when  she  had  teased  and  flouted  and 
fled  laughing,  Jack  had  pursued  her  with  long  strides, 
and  in  the  first  sequestered  nook  had  made  her  lips 
pay  a  penalty.  But  this  time  he  stood  still  and  let  her 
go  —  which  must  have  puzzled  the  senorita  very  much, 
and  perhaps  piqued  her  pride  as  well.  For  the  girl 
who  flouts  and  then  flees  laughing  surely  invites  pur 
suit  and  an  inexorable  exaction  of  the  penalty.  And  if 
she  is  left  to  flee  in  safety,  then  must  the  flouted  one 
pay  for  his  stupidity,  and  pay  high  in  the  coin  of  love. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

WHAT  IS  LOVE  WORTH  ? 

VALENCIA  swung  down  from  his  belathered 
horse  as  lightly  as  though  he  had  not  spent  seven 
hours  in  the  saddle  and  during  those  seven  hours  had 
covered  more  miles  than  he  would  have  years  to  live. 
His  smile  was  wide  and  went  as  deep  as  his  emotions 
had  thus  far  plumbed  his  nature,  and  his  voice  had  the 
exultant  note  of  a  child  who  has  wonderful  news  to 
tell.  He  gave  Bade  a  letter,  and  his  very  gesture  was 
triumphant;  and  the  eyes  were  eager  that  watched  his 
majordomo  read.  He  bubbled  with  words  that  he  would 
like  to  say,  but  he  waited. 

"  So  you  did  n't  get  there  in  time,  after  all/'  Dade 
observed,  looking  up  from  Jack's  characteristic  signa 
ture,  in  which  the  tail  of  the  "  k  "  curled  around  the 
whole  like  a  mouse  lying  asleep.  "  Manuel  came  back 
this  morning,  and  the  whole  camp  is  talking  nothing  but 
duelo.  I  thought  you  said  —  ' 

"  Seiior,  the  saints  would  not  permit  that  I  should 
arrive  first,"  Valencia  explained  virtuously.  "  A  stick 


242  THE    GRINGOS 

tripped  Noches  and  he  fell,  and  broke  his  neck  in  the 
fall.  The  sefior  knows  well  the  saints  had  a  hand  in 
that,  for  hundreds  of  horses  fall  every  day  thus  without 
hurt.  Never  before  in  my  life  have  I  seen  a  horse  die 
thus,  Sefior!  I  was  compelled  to  walk  and  carry  the 
saddle,  yet  such  haste  I  made  that  Manuel  met  me  by 
the  stone  wall  as  he  was  leaving.  And  at  least  twelve 
miles  I  walked  —  " 

"  Oh,  all  right,"  Dade  waved  away  further  apology. 
"  I  reckon  you  did  your  best ;  it  can't  be  helped  now. 
They  're  going  to  fight  with  riatas,  Manuel  says. 
Is  that  right  ?  " 

"  But  not  the  duelo,  Senor  —  no,  but  in  the  contest. 
For  sport,  that  all  may  witness  and  choose  who  is 
champion,  after  the  bull-fighting,  and  the  —  " 

"  What  are  you  talking  about,  man  ?  "  Dade's  hand 
fell  heavily  upon  the  shoulder  of  Valencia,  swaying 
his  whole  body  with  the  impact.  "  Are  you  loco,  to 
talk  of  bull-fightings  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  fiesta,  Senor !  The  patron  himself  has 
proclaimed  the  grand  fiesta,  such  as  they  have  in 
Monterey,  only  this  will  be  greater;  and  then  those 
two  will  fight  their  duelo  with  riatas,  yes;  but  not  to 
the  death,  Senor.  The  patron  himself  has  declared  it. 
For  the  medalla  oro  and  also  for  a  prize  will  they  fight ; 
and  the  prize  —  what  think  you,  Senor  ?  " 


WHAT   IS   LOVE   WORTH?     243 

Valencia,  a-quiver  with  eagerness,  laid  a  slim  hand 
upon  the  braided  front  of  Dade's  close-fitting  buck 
skin  jacket. 

"  The  prize  will  be  Solano !     That  beautiful  caballo 

—  beautiful  even  as  thy  Surry  —  which  the  patron  has 
not  permitted  rawhide  to  touch,  except  for  the  brand 
ing.     Like  the  sunshine  he  is,  with  his  hair  of  gold; 
and  the  tail  that  waves  to  his  heels  is  like  the  ripples 
on  the  bay  at  sunrise.     Who  wins  the  duelo  shall  have 
Solano  for  his  own,  and  shall  ride  him  before  all  the 
people;  for  such  is  the  patron's  word.     From  his  own 
lips  I  heard  it!     Me,  I  think  that  will  be  the  greatest 
sport  of  all,  for  he  is  wild  as  the  deer  on  the  mountain 
slopes  —  that  yellow  caballo,   and   strong  as  the  bull 
which  the  patron  will  choose  to  fight  the  grizzly  he  will 
bring  from  the  mountains. 

"  Listen,  Senor !  The  mother  of  Solano  was  a  she- 
devil  under  the  saddle,  and  killed  two  men  by  throwing 
herself  upon  them ;  and  the  sire  was  Satanas,  of  whom 
stories  are  told  around  the  camp-fires  as  far  south  as 
San  Luis  Obispo. 

"  Ah,  he  is  wise,  the  patron !  '  Then  let  them  also 
prove  their  courage  in  other  ways.  Let  the  victor  pray 
to  the  saints  and  ride  Solano,  who  is  five  years  old  and 
has  never  felt  the  riata  since  he  left  his  mother's  side 

—  who  was  a  devil.'     Me,   I  heard   the  soul  of  the 


244  THE    GRINGOS 

patron  speak  thus,  while  the  lips  of  the  patron  said  to 
me: 

"  '  Go  hack  to  the  rodeo,  Valencia,  and  proclaim  to 
all  that  I  will  give  the  grand  fiesta  with  sports  to  please 
all.  Tell  them  that  already  two  have  agreed  to  contest 
with  riatas  for  a  prize  — '  Look  you,  Senor,  how 
wily  is  the  patron !  — (  And  for  the  prize  I  name  the 
gelding,  Solano,  who  has  never  known  weight  of  saddle. 
Tell  them,  Valencia,  that  the  victor  shall  ride  his  prize 
for  all  the  crowd  to  see.  And  if  he  is  thrown,  then 
Solano  will  be  forfeit  to  the  other,  who  must  ride  him 
also.  There  will  be  other  sports  and  other  prizes, 
Valencia,  and  others  may  contest  in  riding,  in  the 
lassoing  and  tying  of  wild  steers,  in  running.  But 
say  that  Don  Jose  Pacheco  and  the  Senor  Jack  Allen 
will  contest  with  riatas  for  the  possession  of  Solano.' 
Ah,  Senor  —  " 

"  Ah,  Valencia,  why  not  scatter  some  of  your  en 
thusiasm  over  the  other  camp-fires  ?  "  Dade  broke  in 
quizzically.  "  Go  and  proclaim  it,  then.  Tell  the  San 
Vincente  men,  and  the  Las  Uvas,  and  all  the  other 
vaqueros." 

Valencia  grinned  and  departed,  leaving  behind  him 
in  the  loose  sand  tracks  more  than  three  feet  apart 
to  show  how  eager  was  his  obedience;  and  Dade  sat 
down  upon  a  dead  log  that  had  been  dragged  to  the 


WHAT   IS   LOVE   WORTH?     245 

Picardo  camp-fire,  to  consider  how  this  new  phase  of 
the  affair  would  affect  the  temper  of  the  people  who 
owned  such  warm  hearts  and  such  hot  heads. 

A  fiesta,  with  the  duelo  fought  openly  under  the 
guise  of  a  contest  for  the  medal  and  a  prize  which  was 
well  worth  any  man's  best  efforts  —  surely,  Don 
Andres  was  wily,  as  Valencia  said.  But  with  all  the 
people  of  the  valley  there  to  see,  their  partisanship  in 
flamed  by  the  wine  of  festivity  and  the  excitement  of 
the  sports  themselves  —  what  then  ? 

Dade  thoughtfully  rolled  a  corn-husk  cigarette,  and 
tried  to  peer  into  the  future.  As  it  looked  to  him,  he 
and  Jack  were  rather  between  the  devil  and  the  deep 
sea.  If  Jack  were  beaten,  they  would  be  scorned  and 
crowed  over  and  humiliated  beyond  endurance.  Neither 
was  made  of  the  stuff  to  stand  much  of  that,  and  they 
would  probably  wind  up  with  both  hande  and  their 
hats  full  of  trouble.  And  to  himself  he  admitted  that 
there  was  a  fair  chance  of  that  very  result.  He  had 
not  been  blind,  and  Jose  had  not  shrunk  into  the  back 
ground  when  there  was  riata-work  and  riding  to  be  done 
on  the  rodeo  ground.  Dade  had  watched  him  as  jeal 
ously  as  it  was  in  his  nature  to  do,  and  the  eyes  of 
jealousy  are  keen  indeed;  and  he  had  seen  Jose  make 
many  throws,  and  never  a  miss.  Which,  if  you  know 
anything  of  rope-work,  was  a  remarkable  record  for 


246  THE    GRINGOS 

any  man.  So  there  was  a  good  chance  of  Jose  winning 
that  fight.  In  his  heart  Dade  knew  it,  even  if  his  lips 
never  would  admit  it. 

Well,  supposing  Jose  was  beaten ;  suppose  Jack  won ! 
What  then?  Dade  blew  a  mouthful  of  smoke  towards 
the  camp-fire,  deserted  except  for  himself,  while  his 
vaqueros  disported  themselves  with  their  neighbors,  and 
shook  his  head.  He  had  a  little  imagination;  perhaps 
he  had  more  than  most  men  of  his  type.  He  could  see 
a  glorious  row,  if  Jose  were  beaten.  It  would,  on  the 
whole,  be  more  disastrous  than  if  he  won. 

"  And  she  's  just  fickle-minded  enough  to  turn  up 
her  nose  at  Jack  if  he  got  beat,"  Dade  grumbled,  think 
ing  of  a  certain  senorita.  "  And  if  he  don't,  the  whole 
bunch  will  pile  onto  us.  Looks  to  me  like  a  worse 
combination  than  that  Vigilance  row,  for  Jack.  If  he 
wins,  he  gets  knifed ;  if  he  don't,  he  gets  hell.  And  me 
the  only  one  to  back  him  up !  I  '11  wish  I  was  about 
forty  men  seven  foot  high  and  armed  with  —  " 

"  Pardon,  Senor.  The  senor  has  of  course  heard  the 
news  ?  "  Jose  came  out  of  the  shadows  and  stood  with 
the  firelight  dancing  on  his  face  and  picking  out  the 
glittery  places  on  his  jacket,  where  was  the  braid.  "  I 
have  a  letter  from  Don  Andres.  Would  the  senor  care 
to  read  it?  No?  The  senor  is  welcome  to  read.  I 
have  no  wish  to  keep  anything  hidden  which  concerns 


"  An  accident  it  must  appear  to  those  on  watch. 
Pa tfe  247. 


WHAT   IS   LOVE   WORTH?     247 

this  matter.  I  have  brought  the  letter,  and  I  want  to 
say  that  the  wishes  of  my  friend,  Don  Andres,  shall 
be  granted.  Except,"  he  added,  coming  closer,  "  that 
I  shall  fight  to  the  death.  I  wish  the  Senor  Allen  to 
understand  this,  though  it  must  be  held  a  secret  be 
tween  us  three.  An  accident  it  must  appear  to  those 
who  watch,  because  the  duelo  will  be  proclaimed  a 
sport ;  but  to  the  death  I  will  fight,  and  I  trust  that  the 
Senor  Allen  will  fight  as  I  fight.  Does  the  senor  un 
derstand?" 

"  Yes,  but  I  can't  promise  anything  for  Jack."  Dade 
studied  Jose  quietly  through  the  smoke  of  his  cigarette. 
"  Jack  will  fight  to  please  himself,  and  nobody  can  tell 
how  that  will  be,  except  that  it  won't  be  tricky.  He 
may  want  to  kill  you,  and  he  may  not.  I  don't  know. 
If  he  does,  he  '11  try  his  damnedest,  you  can  bank  on 
that." 

"  But  you,  Senor  —  do  you  not  see  that  to  fight  for 
a  prize  merely  is  to  belittle  —  "  Jose  waved  a  hand 
eloquently. 

"  I  see  you  're  taking  life  pretty  serious,"  Dade  re 
torted,  moving  farther  along  the  log.  "  Sit  down,  Jose, 
and  be  sociable.  Nothing  like  seeing  the  point  of  a 
joke,  if  there  is  one.  Do  you  reckon  anything  's  worth 
all  the  heart-burnings  you  're  indulging  in  ?  Some 
things  are  tough ;  I  've  waded  kinda  deep,  myself,  so 


248  THE    GRINGOS 

I  know.  But  there  's  nothing  you  can't  get  over,  with 
time  and  lots  of  common  sense,  except  being  a  sneak  — 
and  being  dead.  To  me,  one  's  as  bad  as  the  other,  with 
maybe  first  choice  on  death.  You  are  n't  a  sneak,  and 
I  don't  see  why  you  hanker  to  be  dead.  What  do  you 
want  to  fight  to  the  death  for  ?  " 

Jose  did  not  sit  down  beside  Dade,  but  he  came  a 
little  closer.  "  Why  do  I  want  to  fight  to  the  death  ? 
I  will  tell  you,  Senor ;  I  am  not  ashamed.  Since  I  was 
a  child  I  have  loved  that  senorita  whom  I  will  not  name 
to  you.  Only  last  Christmas  time  the  senora,  ker 
mother,  said  I  must  wait  but  a  year  longer  till  she  was 
a  little  older.  They  would  keep  their  child  a  little 
longer,  and  truly  her  heart  is  the  heart  of  a  child.  But 
she  knew;  and  I  think  she  waited  also  and  was  happy. 
But  look  you,  Senor!  Then  comes  a  stranger  and 
steals  — 

"  Ah,  you  ask  me  why  must  I  fight  to  the  death  ? 
Senor,  you  are  a  man ;  perchance  you  have  loved  — 
for  of  a  truth  I  see  sometimes  the  sadness  in  your  eyes. 
You  know  that  I  must  fight  thus.  You  know  that  to 
kill  that  blue-eyed  one  is  all  there  is  left  to  do.  Me, 
I  could  have  put  him  out  of  the  way  before  now,  for 
there  are  many  knives  ready  to  do  me  the  service.  Kill 
him  I  shall,  Senor ;  but  it  shall  be  in  fight ;  and  if  the 
senorita  sees  —  good.  She  shall  know  then  that  at 


WHAT   IS    LOVE    WORTH?     249 

least  it  is  not  a  coward  or  a  weakling  who  loves  her. 
Do  you  ask  why  —  " 

DaoVs  hands  went  out,  dismissing  the  question. 
"  Xo,  I  don't  ask  another  blamed  thing.  Go  ahead  and 
fight.  Fight  to  kill,  if  that 's  the  only  thing  that  will 
satisfy  you.  You  two  are  n't  the  first  to  lock  horns 
over  a  woman.  Jack  seems  just  as  keen  for  it  as  you 
are,  so  I  don't  reckon  there  's  any  stopping  either  one 
of  you.  But  it  does  seem  a  pity !  " 

"  Why  does  it  seem  a  pity  ?  "  Jose's  tone  was  in 
sistent. 

"  It  seems  a  pity,"  Dade  explained  doggedly,  "  to 
see  two  fine  fellows  like  you  and  Jack  trying  to  kill 
each  other  for  a  girl  —  that  is  n't  worth  the  life  of 
either  one  of  you !  " 

In  two  steps  Jose  confronted  him,  his  hand  lifted 
to  strike.  Dade,  looking  up  at  him,  flicked  the  ashes 
from  his  cigarette  with  his  forefinger,  but  that  was  the 
only  move  he  made.  Jose's  hand  trembled  and  came 
down  harmlessly  by  his  side. 

"  I  was  mistaken,"  he  said,  smiling  queerly.  "  You 
have  never  loved  any  woman,  Seiior;  and  I  think  the 
sadness  I  have  seen  in  your  eyes  is  for  yourself,  that 
life  has  cheated  you  so.  If  you  had  known  love,  you 
could  never  have  said  that.  Love,  Seiior,  is  worth  every 
thing  a  man  has  to  give  —  even  his  life.  You  would 


250  THE    GRINGOS 

know  that,  if  you  had  ever  loved."  He  waited  a  mo 
ment,  closed  his  teeth  upon  further  words,  turned 
abruptly  on  his  heel  and  went  away  into  the  fog-dark 
ened  night. 

Dade,  with  a  slight  curl  to  his  lips  that  did  not 
look  quite  like  a  smile,  stared  into  the  fire,  where  the 
embers  were  growing  charred  for  half  their  length,  and 
the  flames  were  waving  wearily  and  shrinking  back  to 
the  coals,  and  the  coals  themselves  were  filmed  with 
gray.  The  cigarette  went  cold  and  clammy  in  his  fin 
gers,  and  in  his  eyes  was  that  sadness  of  which  Jose 
had  spoken;  and  something  else  besides. 

They  would  fight,  those  two,  and  fight  to  kill.  Since 
the  world  was  first  peopled,  men  had  fought  as  they 
would  fight  —  for  love;  for  the  possession  of  a  pretty 
thing  —  warm,  capricious,  endearing,  with  possibly  a 
heart  and  a  soul  beneath;  possibly.  And  love — "what 
was  love,  after  all  ?  What  is  love  worth  ?  He  had 
loved  her,  too ;  at  least,  he  had  felt  all  the  emotions  that 
either  of  them  had  felt  for  her.  He  was  not  sure  that 
he  did  not  still  feel  them,  or  would  if  he  let  himself 
go.  He  did  not  believe,  however,  that  those  emotions 
were  worth  more  than  everything  else  in  the  world; 
more  than  his  life,  or  honor,  or  friendship.  He  had 
choked  love,  strangled  it,  starved  it  for  sake  of  friend 
ship;  and,  sitting  there  staring  abstractedly  into  the 


WHAT   IS    LOVE    WORTH?     251 

filming  coals,  he  wondered  if  he  had  done  wrong;  if 
those  two  were  right,  and  love  was  worth  fighting  for. 

The  man  who  fought  the  hardest,  he  felt;  would  in 
this  case  win  that  for  which  he  fought.  For  he  felt  in 
his  heart  that  Teresita  was  only  a  pretty  little  animal, 
the  primitive  woman  who  would  surrender  to  strength; 
and  that  he  would  win  in  the  end  who  simply  refused 
to  yield  before  her  coquetries. 

With  a  quick,  impatient  gesture  he  threw  his  cigar 
ette  into  the  coals,  kicked  viciously  a  lazily  smoking 
brand  which  sent  up  a  little  blaze  and  a  spurt  of  sparks 
that  died  almost  immediately  to  dull  coals  again. 

"  Love  'a  like  that,"  he  muttered  pessimistically, 
standing  up  and  stretching  his  arms  mechanically. 
"  And  the  winner  loses  in  the  end ;  maybe  not  always, 
but  he  will  in  this  case.  Poor  old  Jack !  After  all, 
she  ain't  worth  it.  If  she  was  —  "  His  chin  went 
down  for  a  minute  or  two,  while  he  stared  again  at 
the  fire.  "  If  she  was,  I  'd  —  But  she  ain't.  Love  'a 
worth  —  what  is  love  worth,  anyway  ?  " 

He  did  not  answer  the  question  with  any  degree  of 
positiveness,  and  he  went  to  bed  wishing  that  he  had 
never  seen  the  valley  of  Santa  Clara. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

ANTICIPATION 

TO  give  a  clear  picture  of  the  preparations  for  that 
fiesta,  one  should  be  able  to  draw  with  strokes 
as  swift  as  the  horses  that  galloped  up  and  down  the 
valley  at  the  behest  of  riders  whose  minds  titillated 
with  whatever  phase  of  the  fiesta  appealed  to  them 
most ;  and  paint  with  colors  as  vivid  as  were  the  dream? 
of  the  women,  from  the  peonas  in  the  huts  to  the 
senoritas  and  senoras  murmuring  behind  the  shelter  of 
their  vines. 

One  would  need  tell  of  those  who  went  boldly  into 
the  mountains  to  find  a  grizzly  bear  and  bring  it  alive 
and  unhurt  to  the  pen,  which  the  peons,  with  feverish 
zeal  and  much  chattering  amongst  themselves,  were 
building  close  beside  the  smallest  corral. 

A  great  story  it  would  make  —  the  tale  of  that  hunt ! 
A  man  came  back  from  it  with  a  forearm  torn  sicken- 
ingly,  to  show  how  brave  he  had  been.  And  the  bear 
came  alao  —  a  great,  gaunt  she-bear  with  two  cubs 
whimpering  beside  her  in  the  cage,  and  in  her  eyes  a 


ANTICIPATION  253 

sullen  hunger  for  the  giant  redwoods  that  stood  so 
straight  and  strong  together  upon  the  steep  slopes  while 
they  sang  crooningly  the  songs  she  knew  of  old,  and 
a  glowing  hatred  for  her  captors. 

A  story  that  would  make!  A  story  in  which  Jerry 
Simpson  and  Tige  played  valiant  part  and  bore  more 
than  their  share  of  the  danger,  and  became  heroes  to 
those  who  went  with  them. 

One  would  need  to  picture  somehow  the  bubbling 
excitement  of  Teresita,  while  she  planned  and  re- 
planned  her  festal  garments,  and  tell  how  often  she 
found  it  necessary  to  ride  with  Jack  across  the  valley 
to  talk  the  matter  over  with  the  "  pretty  Seiiora " 
Simpson,  or  to  the  Mission  San  Jose  to  see  what  Rosa 
had  at  last  decided  to  wear. 

Then,  there  would  be  the  solemn  conferences  in  the 
kitchen,  between  Margarita  and  the  senora  herself; 
conferences  that  had  to  do  with  cakes  and  preserves 
and  the  like,  with  the  ninos  getting  in  every  one's  way, 
while  they  listened  and  smacked  lips  over  the  very  nam 
ing  of  so  many  good  things  to  eat. 

One  would  need  see  the  adobe  corral  that  was  to  be 
transformed  into  an  amphitheater  where  were  hammer 
ing  and  clatter  from  sunrise  till  dark,  without  even  a 
pause  for  midday  siesta  amongst  those  lazy  peons  who 
would  sleep  over  their  cigarettes,  though  the  padres 


254  THE    GRINGOS 

stood  over  them  predicting  the  end  of  the  world  the 
next  moment. 

Well  in  the  foreground  of  the  picture  would  be  Jack, 
to  be  sure;  Jack  riding  far  afield  upon  Surry,  whom 
he  had  found  the  best  horse  for  his  purpose  upon  the 
whole  ranch;  lassoing  cattle  to  get  his  hand  in,  prac 
tising  certain  little  twists  of  his  own  invention,  and 
teaching  Surry  to  know  without  fail  just  what  certain 
signals  meant,  and  obey  instantly  and  implicitly  when 
they  were  given. 

Sometimes,  when  the  senorita  was  not  in  a  perverse 
mood,  she  would  ride  with  him  and  applaud  his  dex 
terity;  at  other  times  she  would  boast  of  Jose's  mar 
velous  skill,  and  pity  Jack  in  advance  for  the  defeat 
which  she  pretended  was  inevitable.  Whether  she 
pitied  or  praised,  she  seemed  always  sincere  for  the 
moment,  so  that  Jack  gave  up  any  lingering  hope  of 
knowing  how  she  really  felt  about  it,  and  contented 
himself  with  the  determination  to  deflect  all  the  pity 
towards  Jose  when  the  time  came,  and  keep  the  praise 
for  himself. 

There  would  be  other  contests;  and  scarce  a  day 
passed  wherein  no  horse  loped  heavily  up  the  slope 
and  stopped  with  heaving  flanks  in  the  patio,  while  its 
rider  dismounted  and  bowed  low  before  Don  Andres, 
giving  news  of  some  vaquero  who  wished  his  name  to 


ANTICIPATION  255 

be  listed  as  a  contestant  in  the  riding,  or  the  lassoing 
and  tying  of  steers,  or  in  the  bull-fight,  perchance. 

But  there  was  no  third  name  offered  in  the  riata 
contest  for  which  Solano  was  announced  as  a  prize. 
All  up  and  down  the  valley;  at  the  ranches,  on  the 
trails  when  men  met  and  stopped  to  talk  awhile,  and 
around  the  camp-fires  of  the  rodeo  they  talked  of  it; 
and  many  bets  would  have  been  laid  upon  the  outcome, 
had  not  all  men  been  of  one  mind.  When  Jose  was 
not  present,  or  Dade,  or  the  more  outspoken  of  the 
Picardo  vaqueros,  always  they  spoke  of  it  as  the  duelo 
riata,  and  took  it  for  granted  that  it  would  be  fought 
to  the  death.  Thus  are  secrets  kept  from  men  who 
can  read  from  their  own  natures  the  truth !  The  men 
of  Santa  Clara  lowered  lids  and  smiled  whenever  they 
spoke  of  it  as  a  contest,  for  as  a  duel  had  the  word 
first  gone  forth  from  the  exultant  lips  of  Manuel ;  as  a 
duel  would  it  still  remain  among  themselves,  spite  of 
the  fiesta  and  the  prize  that  was  offered,  and  the  re 
iteration  that  it  was  but  sport. 

One  should  picture  the  whole  valley  for  the  back 
ground  ;  a  sunken  paradise  of  greenery,  splotched  with 
color,  made  alive  with  bird-songs  and  racing  cloud- 
shadows  on  the  grass;  with  the  wooded  slopes  of  the 
Santa  Cruz  mountains  closing  in  upon  the  west  and 
sheltering  it  from  the  sweeping  winds  from  off  the 


256  THE    GRINGOS 

ocean,  and  the  grassy  hills  rising  high  and  rugged  on 
the  east,  giving  rich  pasturage  to  the  cattle  and  all  the 
wild  things  that  fed  there. 

When  it  was  complete  —  that  picture  —  then  might 
one  weep  to  be  there  in  the  midst  of  it  all !  For  there 
would  be  much  laughter,  and  the  love-making  would 
make  young  pulses  beat  fast  to  think  upon.  There 
would  be  dancing,  and  the  tinkle  of  guitars  and  man 
dolins,  and  a  harp  or  two  to  beat  a  harmonious  surf- 
song  beneath  the  waves  of  melody.  There  would  be 
feasting,  with  whole  beeves  roasted  over  pits  which  the 
peons  were  already  digging  in  their  dreams ;  with  casks 
of  wine  from  the  don's  own  vineyard  to  wash  down  the 
juicy  morsels.  There  would  be  all  that  throughout  one 
long,  moonlit  night,  with  the  day  of  sports  to  think 
back  upon.  And  through  the  night  they  would  talk 
of  the  duelo  riata  between  two  men  who  loved  one  little 
senorita  who  laughed  much  and  cared  little,  said  cer 
tain  wise  seiioras,  and  nodded  their  heads  while  they 
said  it. 

What  if  some  hearts  were  bitter  over  the  prospect? 
From  Santa  Barbara,  even,  were  they  coming  to  the 
fiesta !  (Gustavo  had  the  news  from  a  peon  who  came 
straight  through  from  Paso  Robles  on  an  errand  for 
his  master.) 

What  if  Bade,  thinking  and  thinking  until  his  brain 


ANTICIPATION  257 

was  dizzy,  lay  long  hours  awake  in  his  blankets  and 
stared  up  at  the  star-sprinkle  in  the  purple  night-sky, 
trying  to  find  a  path  that  would  lead  to  peace?  The 
senorita  lay  awake  also,  thinking  smilingly  that  she  had 
nearly  finished  the  embroidery  upon  the  bodice  she 
meant  to  wear,  and  that  the  pretty  senora  had  promised 
to  do  her  black  hair  in  a  new  and  wonderful  way  that 
should  smart  with  envy  the  eyes  of  all  the  other 
senoritas  when  they  saw;  and  that  the  senora  her 
mother  had  reluctantly  promised  that  she  should  wear 
the  gold  chain  with  the  rubies  glowing  along  every 
little  thumb-length  of  it ;  thinking  also,  perhaps,  of  how 
she  had  made  the  Seiior  Jack's  eyes  grow  dark  and  then 
flash  anger-lights,  when  she  taunted  him  again  about 
going  to  the  wise  old  woman  at  the  Mission  San  Jose 
for  a  charm  to  make  the  riata  fly  true! 

What  if  the  old  don,  seeing  also  that  trouble  hung 
like  a  vulture  over  the  feast,  paced  uneasily  up  and 
down  the  vine-hidden  veranda,  while  he  meditated  upon 
the  follies  of  youth?  The  young  steers  that  had  been 
driven  in  for  the  roasting-pits  were  trampling  uneasily 
about  the  little  corral  where  they  had  been  put  to  fat 
ten;  and  Gustavo  walked  with  his  head  thrown  back 
upon  his  shoulders  that  he  might  read  that  open  page 
which  was  the  sky,  and  to  any  anxious  ones  who  asked, 
he  had  but  one  answer  and  that  a  comforting  one: 


258  THE    GRINGOS 

"  The  day  will  be  a  day  of  sunshine,  with  linnets  sing 
ing  in  the  trees  and  the  smallest  breeze  to  cool  the 
cheek."  The  anxious  ones,  hearing  so  good  an  augury, 
would  pass  on,  their  thoughts  upon  the  day-of-days  and 
on  their  lips  a  little  smile. 


CHAPTER  XX 

LOST  !   TWO  HASTY  TEMPERS 

more  throw,  and  then  no  more  until  the 
contest,"  Jack  announced  placatingly,  when 
he  spied  a  lone  bull  standing  just  before  a  thicket  of 
chaparral  and  staring  at  them  with  stupid  resentment 
that  his  siesta  had  been  disturbed.  "  A  kiss  for  luck, 
little  one !  " 

Riata  coiled  in  his  hand,  Jack  rode  closer  and 
leaned  to  the  girl,  his  eyes  and  his  voice  caressing, 
his  lips  quivering  for  the  kiss  he  craved.  It  had  come 
to  kisses  long  before  then,  and  to  half  promises,  when 
her  mood  was  tender,  that  she  would  marry  her  blue- 
eyed  one  —  sometime. 

Just  now  her  mood  was  not  tender.  Jack  was  not 
to  blame,  nor  was  the  pretty  Senora  Simpson,  although 
Mrs.  Jerry  was  quite  innocently  and  unconsciously  the 
cause.  Mrs.  Jerry  had  a  headache,  that  day,  and  a  fit 
of  the  blues ;  and  from  the  first  moment  when  Teresita 
had  entered  the  cabin  she  had  felt  a  lack  of  warmth 
in  the  pretty  seiiora's  manner  that  had  piqued  her,  who 


260  THE    GRINGOS 

had  lived  upon  adoration  all  her  life.  Mrs.  Jerry  had 
even  shown  a  disposition  to  shirk  keeping  her  promise 
anent  the  new  way  of  doing  Teresita's  hair. 

She  said  that  she  did  n't  think  she  'd  go  to  the  fiesta, 
after  all  —  which  was  like  calmly  telling  a  priest  that 
one  does  not,  after  all,  feel  as  if  heaven  is  worth  striv 
ing  for. 

Teresita  failed  to  see  how  the  wistfulness  was  quite 
submerging  the  twinkle  in  Mrs.  Jerry's  eyes,  and  if 
she  had  seen,  she  would  never  have  guessed  what  put  it 
there;  nor  would  she  have  understood  why  Mrs.  Jerry 
might  shrink  from  attending  that  magnificent  festival, 
perhaps  the  only  gringo  woman  in  all  the  crowd,  and 
a  pitifully  shabby  gringo  woman  at  that.  To  her  mind, 
Mrs.  Jerry  was  beautiful  and  perfect,  even  in  her 
shapeless  brown  dress  that  was  always  clean.  Teresita 
herself  would  never  have  worn  that  dress  at  all,  yet  it 
did  not  occur  to  her  that  Mrs.  Jerry  might  have  some 
very  feminine  quality  of  pride  crowded  down  into  some 
corner  of  her  sweet  nature.  So  Teresita  was  mightily 
offended  at  what  she  considered  a  slight  from  the  only 
gringo  woman  she  had  ever  known;  and  she  was  also 
bitterly  disappointed  over  the  abandonment  of  the  new 
coiffure. 

"  Why  don't  you  wear  it  just  the  way  it  is,  honey  ?  " 
Mrs.  Jerry  had  suggested  —  and  very  sensibly,  too.  "  I 


LOST!   TWO   TEMPERS       261 

would  n't  go  and  twist  it  all  up  and  stick  pins  through 
it,  if  I  was  you.  It 's  prettier  just  that  way." 

Teresita  had  understood  enough  of  that,  thanks  to 
the  teachings  of  her  blue-eyed  one,  to  know  that  the 
pretty  senora  did  not  mean  to  keep  her  promise.  She 
had  gone  almost  immediately  to  the  cabin  door  to  tell 
Jack  that  she  was  ready  to  go  home.  And  Jack,  deep 
in  one  of  those  interminable  conversations  with  Jerry 
himself,  over  on  the  pile  of  logs  that  would  one  day  be 
a  stable  if  Jerry's  hopes  reached  fruition,  had  merely 
waved  his  hand  carelessly  when  he  saw  her,  and  had 
given  all  his  attention  to  Jerry  again. 

Of  course,  Teresita  could  not  know  that  they  were 
discussing  a  brief  but  rancorous  encounter  which  Jerry 
had  had  with  Manuel  that  morning,  when  the  two  hap 
pened  to  meet  farther  down  the  valley  while  Manuel 
was  riding  his  share  of  the  rodeo  circle.  Two  of  Jose's 
men  had  been  with  Manuel,  and  their  attitude  had  been 
"purty  derned  upstropolus,"  according  to  Jerry. 
(Jack  decided  after  a  puzzled  minute  that  the  strange 
word  which  Jerry  spoke  with  such  relish  must  be 
Simpsonese  for  obstreperous.)  They  had,  in  fact,  at 
tempted  to  drive  off  three  of  Jerry's  oxen  to  the  rodeo 
ground,  and  only  the  characteristic  "  firmness  "  of  Jerry 
had  prevented  them  from  doing  it.  Jemima,  he  said, 
had  helped  some  when  pointed  at  Manuel's  scowling 


262  THE    GRINGOS 

face;  but  Jerry  opined  that  he  would  hereafter  take 
the  twins  along  too  when  he  rode  out  anywhere,  and 
that  he  guessed  he  'd  cut  another  loophole  or  two  in  his 
cabin  walls. 

All  of  these  various  influences  had  created  an  at 
mosphere  which  Teresita  felt  and  resented  without  at 
tempting  to  understand.  The  big  senor  had  not  given 
her  the  smiles  and  the  funny  attempts  at  conversation 
which  she  had  come  to  accept  as  a  matter  of  course. 
The  pretty  seiiora  had  not  been  as  enthusiastic  as  she 
should  have  been,  when  Teresita  showed  her  the  ruby 
chain  which,  like  a  child,  she  had  brought  over  for  the 
pretty  seiiora  to  admire. 

Therefore,  Jack's  lips  found  reason  to  tighten  and 
cease  their  eager  quivering  for  a  kiss.  For  Teresita 
twitched  her  shoulders  pettishly  and  her  reins  dexter 
ously,  and  so  removed  herself  some  distance  from  the 
kissing  zone. 

"  No  ?  Well,  I  '11  have  to  depend  on  my  good  riata, 
then.  I  '11  take  that  gentleman  at  twenty-five  feet,  and 
if  I  can  get  him  to  run  right,  I  '11  heel  him.  Don't 
ride  any  closer,  Teresita." 

He  had  not  called  her  dulce  corazon  (sweetheart)  as 
she  had  expected  him  to  call  her;  he  had  not  even  in 
sisted  upon  the  kiss,  but  had  given  up  altogether  too 
tamely ;  and  for  that  she  rode  closer  to  the  bull  in  spite. 


LOST!    TWO    TEMPERS       263 

She  even  had  some  notion  of  getting  in  Jack's  way,  and 
of  making  him  miss  if  she  could.  She  was  seventeen, 
you  see,  and  she  was  terribly  spoiled. 

Jack  had  never  made  any  attempt  to  study  the 
psychological  twists  of  a  woman's  nature.  He  con 
tented  himself  with  loving,  and  with  being  straightfor 
ward  and  selfish  and  a  bit  arrogant  in  his  love,  after 
the  manner  of  the  normal  man.  It  would  never  occur 
to  him  that  Teresita  was  piqued  because  he  had  not 
called  her  sweetheart,  and  he  straightway  sinned  more 
grievously  still. 

"  Go  back,  the  other  way !  He  's  liable  to  start  in 
your  direction/7  he  cried,  intent  upon  her  safety  and 
his  own  whim  to  rope  the  beast. 

Teresita  deliberately  kicked  her  horse  and  loped  for 
ward. 

It  would  not  be  nice  to  say  that  bulls  are  like  some 
humans,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  they  are  extremely  illog 
ical  animals,  full  of  impulses  and  whims  that  have  ab 
solutely  no  relation  to  cause  or  effect.  This  bull  had 
not  moved  except  to  roll  his  eyes  from  one  to  the  other 
of  the  riders.  If  he  meditated  war  he  should,  by  all 
the  bovine  traditions  of  warfare,  have  bellowed  a  warn 
ing  and  sent  up  a  whiff  or  two  of  dirt  over  his  back, 
as  one  has  a  right  to  expect  a  pessimistic  bull  to  do. 
Instead  of  which  he  flung  down  his  head  and  made  an 


264  THE    GRINGOS 

unexpected  rush  at  Teresita  —  and  Jack  had  left  his 
pistols  at  home. 

Jack's  riata  was  coiled  in  his  hand  and  his  head  was 
turned  towards  the  girl,  his  brain  busy  with  his  thoughts 
of  her  and  her  wilfulness.  From  the  tail  of  his  eye  he 
caught  the  first  lunge  of  the  bull,  and  that  automatic 
mental  adjustment  to  unexpected  situations,  which  we 
call  presence  of  mind,  sent  a  knee-signal  to  Surry  which 
that  intelligent  animal  obeyed  implicitly. 

Surry  rushed  straight  at  the  bull,  but  the  triangle 
was  a  short  one,  and  there  was  much  to  do  in  that 
quarter  of  a  minute.  Teresita  was  stubborn  and  would 
not  turn  and  run ;  but  she  happened  to  be  riding  Tejon, 
who  knew  something  about  bulls  and  was  capable  of 
acting  upon  his  knowledge.  He  whirled  with  hind  feet 
for  a  pivot  and  ducked  away  from  the  horns  coming 
at  him,  and  it  was  not  one  second  too  soon.  The  bull 
swept  by,  so  close  that  a  slaver  of  foam  was  flung 
against  Teresita's  skirt  as  he  passed. 

He  whirled  to  come  back  at  the  girl  —  and  that  time 
he  seemed  sure  to  give  that  vicious,  ripping  jab  he  had 
so  narrowly  missed  giving  before;  even  the  girl  saw 
that  he  would,  and  turned  a  little  pale,  and  Tejon's 
eyes  glazed  with  terror. 

But  Jack  had  gained  the  second  he  needed  —  the 
second  that  divided  adventure  from  tragedy.  The  riata 


LOST!   TWO   TEMPERS       265 

loop  shot  from  his  upflung  hand  and  sped  whimperingly 
on  its  errand,  even  as  Tejon  tried  to  swing  away,  tripped, 
and  tumbled  to  his  knees.  The  riata  caught  the  lifted 
forefeet  of  the  bull  just  as  he  stiffened  his  neck  for  the 
lunge.  Surry  braced  himself  automatically  when  Jack 
drew  tight  the  loop,  and  the  bull  went  down  with  a  thud 
and  lay  with  his  forefeet  held  high  in  air,  so  close  to 
his  quarry  that  the  tip  of  one  horn  struck  Tejon  upon 
the  knee  and  flicked  a  raw,  red  spot  there. 

Then  Jack,  in  the  revulsion  from  deadly  fear  to  re 
lief,  was  possessed  by  one  of  those  gusts  of  nervous 
rage  that  seized  him  sometimes ;  such  a  brief  fit  of  rage 
as  made  him  kill  lustfully  three  men  in  the  space  of 
three  heart-beats,  almost,  and  feel  regret  because  he 
could  not  keep  on  killing. 

He  did  not  run  to  Teresita  and  comfort  her  for  her 
fright,  as  a  lover  ought  to  have  done.  Instead  he  gave 
her  one  look  as  he  went  by,  and  that  a  look  of  indig 
nation  for  her  foolishness.  He  ran  to  the  bull,  drew 
his  knife  from  his  sash  and  tried  to  stab  it  in  the 
brain;  but  his  hand  shook  so  that  he  missed  and  only 
gave  it  a  glancing  gash  that  let  much  blood  flow.  He 
swore  and  struck  again,  snapping  the  dagger  blade 
short  off  against  the  horns.  Whereupon  he  threw  the 
dagger  violently  from  him  and  gave  an  angry  kick  at 
the  animal,  as  if  he  would  kill  it  that  way. 


266  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Savage ! "  cried  Teresita,  hysterically  shrill. 
"  Brute !  Leave  the  poor  thing  alone !  It  has  done 
nothing,  that  you  should  beat  it  while  it  cannot  fight 
back." 

Jack,  lifting  his  spurred  foot  for  another  kick,  set 
it  down  and  turned  to  her  dazedly. 

In  her  way  as  shaken  by  her  narrow  escape  as  he 
was  himself,  she  straightway  called  him  brute  and 
savage  again,  and  sentimentally  pitied  the  bull  because 
he  lay  upon  his  back  with  his  front  feet  in  the  air,  and 
because  the  gash  on  his  head  was  bleeding. 

Jack's  rage  passed  as  quickly  as  it  came;  but  it  left 
him  stubborn  under  her  recriminations. 

"  You  are  very  soft-hearted,  all  of  a  sudden,  seno- 
rita,"  he  said,  with  a  fairly  well-defined  sneer,  when  he 
could  bear  no  more.  "  You  won't  enjoy  the  bull 
fighting,  then,  to-morrow  —  for  all  you  have  been  look 
ing  forward  to  it  so  anxiously,  and  have  robbed  your 
self  of  ribbons  to  decorate  the  darts.  It 's  not  half  so 
brutal  to  kill  a  bull  that  tries  to  kill  you,  as  it  is  to  fill 
it  with  flag-trimmed  arrows  for  fun,  and  only  put  it 
out  of  its  misery  when  you  ?re  tired  of  seeing  it  suffer ! 
This  bull  came  near  killing  you !  That 's  why  I  ?m 
going  to  kill  it." 

"  You  are  not !  Santa  Maria,  what  a  savage  beast 
you  are !  Let  him  go  instantly !  Let  him  go,  I  say !  " 


LOST!   TWO    TEMPERS       267 

If  she  had  been  on  the  ground,  she  would  have  stamped 
her  foot.  As  it  was,  she  shook  an  adorably  tiny  fist  at 
Jack,  and  blinked  her  long  lashes  upon  the  tears  of 
real,  sincere  anger  that  stood  in  her  black  eyes,  and 
gritted  her  teeth  at  him ;  for  the  seiiorita  had  a  temper 
quite  as  hot  as  Jack's,  when  it  was  roused,  and  all  her 
life  she  had  been  given  her  own  way  in  everything. 

"  Let  him  go  this  moment,  or  I  shall  never  speak  to 
you  again !  "  she  threatened  rashly. 

For  answer,  Jack  walked  deliberately  past  her  to 
where  Surry  stood  with  his  feet  braced  still  against  the 
pull  of  the  riata  and  his  neck  arched  knowingly,  while 
he  rolled  the  little  wheel  in  the  bit  with  his  tongue. 
Jack  made  himself  a  cigarette,  lay  down  in  the  shade 
of  his  horse,  and  smoked  just  as  calmly  as  though  his 
heart  was  not  thumping  so  that  he  could  hear  it  quite 
plainly.  She  had  gone  the  wrong  way  about  making 
him  yield;  threats  had  always  acted  like  a  goad  upon 
Jack's  anger,  just  as  they  do  upon  most  of  us. 

Teresita  looked  at  him  in  silence  for  a  minute.  And 
Jack,  his  head  upon  his  arm  in  a  position  that  would 
give  him  a  fair  view  of  her  from  the  brim  of  his  som 
brero  while  he  seemed  to  be  taking  no  notice  of  her, 
wondered  how  soon  she  would  change  her  mood  to  coax 
ing,  and  so  melt  that  lump  of  obstinacy  in  his  throat 
that  would  not  let  him  so  much  as  answer  her  vixenish 


268  THE    GRINGOS 

upbraidings.  A  very  little  coaxing  would  have  freed 
the  bull  then,  and  he  would  have  kissed  the  red  mouth 
that  had  reviled  him,  and  would  have  called  her  "  dulce 
corazon,"  as  she  loved  to  have  him  do.  Such  a  very 
little  coaxing  would  have  been  enough ! 

"  Dios !  How  I  hate  a  gringo !  "  she  cried  passion 
ately,  just  when  Jack  believed  she  was  going  to  cry 
"  Seiior  Jack  3  "  in  that  pretty,  cooing  tone  she  had 
that  could  make  the  words  as  tender  as  a  kiss.  "  Jose 
is  right.  Gringos  are  savages  and  worse  than  savages. 
Stay  and  torture  your  bull,  then !  I  hate  you !  Never 
have  I  known  hate,  till  now!  I  shall  be  glad  when 
Jose  drags  you  from  your  horse  to-morrow.  I  shall 
laugh  and  clap  my  hands,  and  cry,  '  Bravo,  bravo, 
querido  mio ! '  [my  beloved]  when  you  are  flung  into 
the  dirt  where  you  belong.  And  when  he  kills  you,  I 
shall  kiss  him  for  his  reward,  before  all  the  peo 
ple,  and  I  shall  laugh  when  they  fling  you  to  the 
coyotes !  "  Yes,  she  said  that ;  for  she  had  a  temper  — 
had  the  Senorita  Teresita  —  and  she  had  a  tongue  that 
could  speak  words  that  burned  like  vitriol. 

She  said  more  than  has  been  quoted;  epithets  she 
hurled  upon  the  recumbent  form  that  seemed  a  man 
asleep  save  for  the  little  drift  of  smoke  from  his  cigar 
ette;  epithets  which  she  had  heard  the  vaqueros  use  at 
the  corrals  upon  certain  occasions  when  they  did  not 


LOST!    TWO    TEMPERS       269 

know  that  she  was  near;  epithets  of  which  she  did  not 
know  the  meaning  at  all. 

"  Bravo !  "  applauded  some  one,  and  she  turned  to 
see  that  Manuel  and  Carlos,  Jose's  head  vaquero,  had 
ridden  up  to  the  group  very  quietly,  and  had  been  lis 
tening  for  no  one  knew  how  long. 

The  senorita  was  so  angry  that  she  was  not  in  the 
least  abashed  by  the  eavesdropping.  She  smiled  wick 
edly,  drew  off  a  glove  and  tossed  it  to  Manuel,  who 
caught  it  dexterously  without  waiting  to  see  why  she 
wanted  him  to  have  it. 

"  Take  that  to  Jose,  for  a  token,"  she  cried  recklessly. 
"  Tell  him  I  have  put  a  wish  upon  it ;  and  if  he  wears 
it  next  his  heart  in  the  duelo  to-morrow  he  will  win 
without  fail.  Tell  Jose  I  shall  ask  the  Blessed  Virgin 
to-night  to  let  no  accident  befall  him,  and  that  I  shall 
save  the  first  two  dances  for  him  and  none  other !  " 

She  was  not  a  finished  actress,  because  of  her  youth. 
She  betrayed  by  a  glance  his  way  that  she  spoke  for 
Jack's  benefit.  And  Jack,  in  the  hardening  of  his 
stubborn  anger,  blew  a  mouthful  of  smoke  upward  into 
a  ring  which  the  breeze  broke  almost  immediately,  and 
laughed  aloud. 

Teresita  heard,  bit  her  lips  cruelly  at  failing  to  bring 
that  stubborn  gringo  to  his  feet  —  and  to  hers !  —  and 
wheeled  Tejon  close  to  Manuel  and  Carlos.  She  rode 


270  THE    GRINGOS 

away  between  the  two  towards  home,  and  she  did  not 
once  look  behind  her  until  she  had  gone  so  far  she 
feared  she  could  not  see  what  her  blue-eyed  one  was 
doing.  Then  she  turned,  and  her  teeth  went  together 
with  a  click.  For  Jack  was  lying  just  as  she  had  left 
him,  with  his  head  upon  his  arm  as  if  he  might  be 
asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

FIESTA    DAY 

DADE,  rolling  over  in  bed  and  at  the  same  mo 
ment  opening  his  eyes  reluctantly  upon  the  new 
day,  that  he  hated,  beheld  Jack  half-dressed  and  shav 
ing  his  left  jaw,  and  looking  as  if  he  were  committing 
murder  upon  an  enemy.  Dade  watched  him  idly;  he 
could  afford  the  luxury  of  idleness  that  morning;  for 
rodeo  was  over,  and  he  was  lying  between  linen  sheets 
on  a  real  bed,  under  a  roof  other  than  the  branches  of 
a  tree;  and  if  his  mind  had  rested  as  easily  as  his 
body,  he  would  have  been  almost  happy. 

But  this  was  the  day  of  the  fiesta;  and  with  the  re 
membrance  of  that  vital  fact  came  a  realization  that  on 
this  day  the  Picardo  ranch  would  be  the  Mecca  toward 
which  all  California  was  making  pilgrimage;  and,  he 
feared,  the  battle-ground  of  the  warring  interests  and 
prejudices  of  the  pilgrims  themselves. 

Dade  listened  to  the  voices  shouting  orders  and  greet 
ings  without  as  the  vaqueros  hurried  here  and  there 
in  excited  preparations  for  the  event.  He  judged  that 


272  THE    GRINGOS 

not  another  man  in  the  valley  was  in  bed  at  that  mo 
ment,  unless  sickness  held  him  there ;  and  for  that  very 
reason  he  pulled  a  blanket  snugger  about  his  ears  and 
tried  to  make  himself  believe  that  he  was  enjoying  to 
the  full  his  laziness.  He  had  earned  it;  and  last  night 
had  been  the  first  one  of  deep,  unbroken  sleep  that  he 
had  had  since  that  moonlit  night  when  Manuel  and 
Valencia  rode  in  haste  to  meet  this  surly-browed  fellow 
before  him. 

Jack  did  not  wipe  off  the  scowl  with  the  lather,  and 
Dade  began  to  observe  him  more  critically;  which  he 
had  not  before  had  an  opportunity  to  do,  for  the  reason 
that  Jack  had  not  returned  to  the  ranch  the  night  be 
fore  until  Dade  was  in  bed  and  asleep. 

"  Say,  you  don't  want  to  let  the  fellows  outside  see 
you  looking  like  that,"  he  remarked,  when  Jack  had  . 
yanked  a  horn  comb  through  his  red-brown  mop  of  hair 
as  if  he  were  hoeing  corn. 

"  Why  ?  "     Jack  turned  on  him  truculently. 

"  Well,  you  look  a  whole  lot  like  a  man  that  expects 
a  licking.  And  I  don't  see  any  excuse  for  that ;  you  're 
sure  to  win,  old  man.  I  'd  bet  my  last  shirt  on  that." 
Which  was  Dade's  method  of  wiping  off  the  scowl. 

"  Say,  Dade,"  Jack  began  irrelevantly,  "  I  'm  going 
to  use  Surry.  You  don't  mind,  do  you  ?  He  's  the  best 
horse  I  ever  threw  a  rope  off  from,  without  any  ex- 


FIESTA   DAY  273 

ceptions.  I  Ve  been  training  him  up  a  little,  and  I 
tell  you  what,  Surry  's  going  to  have  a  lot  to  do  with 
that  duel." 

Dade  sat  up  in  bed  as  if  he  had  been  pulled  up. 
"  Jack,  are  you  going  to  make  it  a  sure-enough  duel  ?  " 
he  asked  anxiously. 

"  Why  ?  "  Jack's  eyes  hardened  perceptibly.  "  That's 
what  Jose  wants." 

"  Do  you  want  it  ?  "  Dade  scowled  absent-mindedly 
at  the  wall,  felt  the  prick  of  an  unpleasant  thought,  and 
glanced  sharply  at  Jack. 

"Say,  I  feel  sorry  for  Jose,"  he  began  straightfor 
wardly.  "  As  a  man,  I  'd  like  him  fine,  if  he  'd  let  me. 
And,  Jack,  you've  got  everything  coming  your  way,  and 
—  well,  seems  like  you  might  go  easy  on  this  fight,  no 
matter  what  Jose  wants.  He 's  crazy  jealous,  of 
course  —  but  you  want  to  recollect  that  he  has  plenty 
of  cause.  You  've  stepped  in  between  him  and  a  girl 
he  's  known  all  his  life.  They  were  practically  engaged, 
before  —  " 

"  I  don't  know  as  Jose's  love  affairs  interest  me,"  put 
in  Jack  harshly.  "  Do  you  care  if  I  use  Surry  ?  I 
kinda  took  it  for  granted  it  would  be  all  right,  so  I 
went  ahead  and  trained  him  so  I  can  bank  on  him  in 
a  pinch." 

"  Of  course  you  can  use  him."     That  Dade's  hesi- 


274  THE    GRINGOS 

tation  did  not  cover  more  than  a  few  seconds  was  proof 
of  his  absolute  loyalty  to  Jack.  Not  another  man  living 
could  have  used  Surry  in  a  struggle  such  as  that  would 
be;  a  struggle  where  the  danger  was  not  all  for  the 
rider,  but  must  be  shared  equally  by  the  horse.  Indeed, 
Dade  himself  would  not  have  ridden  him  in  such  a  con 
test,  because  his  anxiety  lest  Surry  should  be  hurt  would 
have  crippled  his  own  dexterity.  But  Jack  wanted 
to  ride  Surry,  and  Dade's  lips  smiled  consent  to  the 
sacrifice. 

"  All  right,  then.  That  horse  is  sure  a  wonder,  Dade. 
Sensible?  You  never  saw  anything  like  it!  I  never 
saw  a  horse  so  sensitive  to  —  well,  I  suppose  it 's  mus 
cular  reactions  that  1 7m  unconscious  of.  I  ?ve  tried 
him  out  without  a  bridle  on  him;  and,  Dade,  I  can 
sit  perfectly  still  in  the  saddle,  and  he  '11  turn  wherever 
I  make  up  my  mind  to  go!  Fact.  You  try  it  your 
self,  next  time  you  ride  him.  So  I  Ve  cultivated  that 
faculty  of  his,  this  last  month. 

"  And  besides,  I  Ve  got  him  trained  to  dodge  a  rope 
every  time.  Had  Diego  go  out  with  me  and  try  to  lasso 
me,  you  know.  I  had  one  devil  of  a  time  with  the 
Injun,  too,  to  make  him  disrespectful  enough  to  throw 
a  rope  at  me.  But  Surry  took  to  it  like  a  she-bear  to 
honey,  and  he  's  got  so  he  can  gauge  distances  to  a  hair, 
now,  and  dodge  it  every  pass.  I  'm  going  to  ride  him 


FIESTA    DAY  275 

to-day  with  a  hackamore;  and  you  watch  him  perform, 
old  man!  I  can  turn  him  on  a  tin  plate,  just  with 
pressing  my  knees.  That  horse  will  —  " 

"  Say,  you  Jre  stealing  my  thunder,"  drawled  Dade, 
grinning.  "  That 's  my  privilege,  to  sing  Surry's 
praises.  Have  n't  I  told  you,  right  along,  that  he  'a 
a  wonder  ? " 

"  Well,  you  told  the  truth  for  once  in  your  life,  any 
way.  Get  up,  you  lazy  devil,  and  come  out  and  take  a 
look  at  him.  I  'm  going  to  have  Diego  give  him  a 
bath,  soon  as  the  sun  gets  hot  enough.  I  Ve  got  a  color 
scheme  that  will  make  these  natives  bug  their  eyes  out ! 
And  Surry  's  got  to  be  considerably  whiter  than 
snow  —  " 

"  Huh !  "  Dade  was  watching  him  closely  while  he 
listened.  For  all  Jack's  exuberance  of  speech,  there 
was  the  hard  look  in  his  eyes  still;  and  there  was  a 
line  between  his  eyebrows  which  Dade  had  never  no 
ticed  there  before,  except  as  a  temporary  symptom  of 
anger.  He  had,  Dade  remembered,  failed  to  make  any 
statement  of  his  intentions  toward  Jose ;  which  was  not 
like  Jack,  who  was  prone  to  speak  impulsively  and 
bluntly  his  mind.  Also,  it  occurred  to  Dade  that  he 
had  not  once  mentioned  Teresita,  although  before  the 
rodeo  his  talk  had  been  colored  with  references  to  the 
girl. 


276  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Oh,  how  's  the  senorita,  by  the  way  ?  "  Bade  asked 
deliberately. 

"  All  right/'  returned  Jack  promptly,  with  a  rising 
inflection.  "  Are  you  going  to  get  up,  or  shall  I  haul 
you  out  by  the  heels  ?  " 

Bade,  observing  an  evasion  of  that  subject  also,  did 
some  hard  thinking  while  he  obediently  pulled  on  his 
clothes.  But  he  said  not  a  word  more  about  the  duel, 
or  Jose's  love-tragedy,  or  Teresita. 

Since  the  first  flush  of  dawn  the  dismal  squeal  of 
wooden-wheeled  ox-carts  had  hushed  the  bird  songs  all 
up  and  down  El  Camino  Real,  and  the  popping  of  the 
drivers'  lashes,  which  punctuated  their  objurgations  to 
the  shambling  oxen,  told  eloquently  of  haste.  Within 
canopies  formed  of  gay,  patchwork  quilts  and  gayer 
scrapes,  heavy-jowled,  swarthy  seiioras  lurched  re 
signedly  with  the  jolting  of  the  carts,  and  between- 
whiles  counseled  restive  senoritas  upon  the  subject  of 
deportment  or  gossiped  idly  of  those  whom  they  ex 
pected  to  meet  at  the  fiesta. 

The  Picardo  hacienda  was  fairly  wiped  clean  of  its 
comfortable  home-atmosphere,  so  immaculate  was  it  and 
so  plainly  held  ready  for  ceremonious  festivities.  The 
senora  herself  went  about  with  a  linen  dust-cloth  in 
her  hand,  and  scolded  because  the  smoke  from  the  fires 
which  the  peons  had  tended  all  night  in  the  barbecue 


FIESTA   DAY  277 

pits  was  borne  straight  toward  the  house  by  the  tricksy 
west  wind,  and  left  cinders  and  grime  upon  windows 
closed  against  it.  The  patio  was  swept  clean  of  dust 
and  footprints,  and  the  peons  scarce  dared  to  cross  it 
in  their  scurrying  errands  hither  and  thither. 

In  the  orchard  many  caballeros  fresh  from  the  rodeo 
were  camped,  their  waiting-time  spent  chiefly  in  talk 
ing  of  the  thing  they  meant  to  do  or  hoped  to  see,  while 
they  polished  spur-shanks  and  bridle  trimmings. 

Horses  were  being  groomed  painstakingly  at  the  cor 
rals,  and  there  was  always  a  group  around  the  bear-pen 
where  the  two  cubs  whimpered,  and  the  gaunt  mother 
rolled  wicked,  little,  bloodshot  eyes  at  those  who  watched 
and  dropped  pebbles  upon  her  outraged  nose  and  like 
cowards  remained  always  beyond  her  reach. 

In  the  small  corral  near  by,  the  bulls  bellowed 
hoarsely  at  the  scent  of  their  grizzly  neighbor  and 
tossed  dirt  menacingly  over  their  backs;  while  above 
them  the  rude  tiers  of  seats  waited  emptily  for  the  yell 
ing  humans  who  would  crowd  them  later.  Beyond, 
under  a  great,  wide-spreading  live  oak  near  the  roast 
ing  pits,  three  fat  young  steers  swung  by  their  heels 
from  a  horizontal  limb,  ready  for  the  huge  gridirons 
that  stood  leaning  against  the  trunk  behind  them.  In 
deed,  the  heads  of  those  same  steers  were  even  then 
roasting  in  their  hide  in  the  smaller  pit  of  their  own, 


278  THE    GRINGOS 

where  the  ashes  were  still  warm,  though  the  fire  had 
been  drawn  over-night. 

The  sun  was  not  more  than  two  hours  high  when 
Don  Andres  himself  appeared  in  his  gala  dress  upon  the 
veranda,  to  greet  in  flowery  Spanish  the  first  arrivals 
among  his  guests.  The  senora,  he  explained  courteously, 
was  still  occupied,  and  the  senorita,  he  averred  fondly, 
was  sleeping  still,  because  there  would  be  no  further 
opportunity  to  sleep  for  many  hours ;  but  his  house  and 
all  that  he  had  was  half  theirs,  and  they  would  honor 
him  most  by  entering  into  their  possessions. 

Whereupon  the  senoras  and  the  seiioritas  settled 
themselves  in  comfortable  chairs  and  waited,  and  in 
spected  the  house  of  this  lord  of  the  valley,  whose  luxury 
was  something  to  envy.  Some  of  those  senoras  walked 
upon  bare,  earthen  floors  when  they  were  at  home,  and 
their  black  eyes  rested  hungrily  upon  the  polished,  dark 
wood  beneath  their  feet,  and  upon  the  rugs  that  had 
come  from  Spain  along  with  the  paintings  upon  the 
walls.  They  looked,  and  craned,  and  murmured  com 
ments  until  the  senora  appeared,  a  little  breathless  and 
warm  from  her  last  conference  with  Margarita  in  the 
kitchen,  and  turned  their  tongues  upon  the  festival. 

Dade  was  just  finishing  the  rite  of  shaving,  and 
thinking  the  while  that  he  would  give  all  that  he  pos 
sessed,  including  Surry,  if  he  could  whisk  Jack  and 


FIESTA   DAY  279 

himself  to  the  cool,  pine  slope  in  the  Sierras  where  was 
their  mine.  Every  day  of  waiting  and  gossiping  over 
the  duel  had  but  fostered  the  feeling  of  antagonism 
among  the  men  of  the  valley,  and  whatever  might  be 
the  outcome  of  that  encounter,  Dade  could  see  no  hope 
of  avoiding  an  open  clash  between  the  partisans  of  the 
two  combatants.  Valencia  and  Pancho  and  two  or  three 
others  of  the  Picardo  vaqueros,  who  hated  Manuel  — • 
and  therefore  had  no  love  for  Jose  —  would  be  more 
than  likely  to  side  with  him  and  Jack,  though  he  hon 
estly  wished  that  they  would  not;  for  the  more  friends 
they  had  when  the  test  was  made,  the  greater  would  be 
the  disturbance,  especially  since  there  would  be  wine 
for  all;  and  wine  never  yet  served  to  cool  a  temper  or 
lull  excitement. 

Without  in  the  least  realizing  it,  Dade's  face  while 
he  shaved  wore  a  scowl  quite  as  pronounced  as  the  one 
that  had  called  his  attention  to  Jack's  mood.  And, 
more  significant,  he  had  no  sooner  finished  than  he 
looked  into  his  little  box  of  pistol  caps  to  see  how  many 
he  had  left,  and  inspected  the  pistol  as  well;  for  the 
law  of  self-preservation  strikes  deeper  than  most  emo 
tions,  and  his  life  had  mostly  been  lived  where  men 
must  frequently  fight  for  the  right  to  live;  and  in  such 
surroundings  the  fighting  instinct  wakes  at  the  first 
hint  of  antagonism. 


280  THE    GRINGOS 

"  My  riata's  gone !  "  announced  Jack  breathlessly, 
bursting  into  the  room  at  that  moment  as  if  he  expected 
to  find  the  thief  there.  "  I  left  it  on  my  saddle  last 
night,  and  now  —  " 

"  And  that  was  a  fool  thing  to  do,  I  must  say !  " 
commented  Dade,  startled  into  harshness.  He  slid  the 
pistol  into  its  holster  and  buckled  the  belt  around  his 
muscular  body  with  fingers  that  moved  briskly.  "  Well, 
my  riata  's  no  slouch  —  you  can  use  it.  You  've  used 
it  before." 

"  I  don't  want  yours.  I  've  got  used  to  my  own. 
I  know  to  an  inch  just  where  it  will  land  —  oh,  damn 
the  luck —  It  was  some  of  those  fellows  camped  by 
the  orchard,  and  when  I  find  out  which  —  " 

"  Keep  your  head  on,  anyway,"  advised  Dade  more 
equably.  "  Your  nerves  must  be  pretty  wrell  frazzled. 
If  you  let  a  little  thing  like  this  upset  you,  how  do  you 
expect  —  " 

"  It  ain't  a  little  thing !  "  gritted  Jack,  loading  his 
pistols  hurriedly.  "  That  six-strand  riata  has  got  a 
different  feel,  a  different  weight  —  oh,  you  know  it 's 
going  to  make  all  the  difference  in  the  world  when  I 
get  out  there  with  Jose.  Whoever  took  it  knew  what 
it  meant,  all  right !  Some  one  —  " 

"  Where  's  Surry  ?  "  A  sudden  fear  sent  Dade  hur 
rying  to  the  door.  "  By  the  Lord  Harry,  if  they  've 


FIESTA   DAY  281 

hurt  Surry  — "  He  jerked  the  door  open  and  went 
out,  Jack  hard  upon  his  heels. 

"  I  did  n't  think  of  that,"  Jack  confessed  on  the 
way  to  the  stable,  and  got  a  look  of  intense  disgust  from 
Bade,  which  he  mitigated  somewhat  by  his  next  re 
mark.  "  Diego  was  to  sleep  in  the  stall  last  night." 

"  Oh."  Bade  slackened  his  pace  a  bit.  "  Why 
did  n't  you  say  so  ?  " 

"  I  think,"  retorted  Jack,  grinning  a  little,  "  some 
body  else's  nerves  are  kinda  frazzled,  too.  I  don't  want 
you  to  begin  worrying  over  my  affairs,  Dade.  I  ?m 
not,"  he  asserted  with  unconvincing  emphasis.  "  But 
all  the  same,  I  'd  like  to  get  my  fingers  on  the  fellow 
that  took  my  riata !  " 

Since  he  formulated  that  wish  after  he  reached  the 
doorway  of  the  roomy  box-stall  where  Surry  was  housed, 
he  faced  a  badly  scared  peon  as  the  door  swung  open. 

"  Seiior  —  I  —  pardon,  Sefior !  But  I  feared  that 
harm  might  come  to  the  riata  in  the  night.  There  are 
many  guests,  Sefior,  who  speak  ill  of  gringos,  and  I 
heard  a  whisper  —  " 

Jack,  gripping  Diego  by  the  shoulders,  halted  his 
nervous  explanations.  "  What  about  the  riata  ?  "  he 
cried.  "  Do  you  know  where  it  is  ?  " 

"  Si,  Seiior.  Me,  I  took  it  from  the  seiior's  saddle, 
for  I  feared  harm  would  be  done  if  it  were  left  there 


282  THE    GRINGOS 

to  tempt  those  who  would  laugh  to  see  the  senor  dragged 
to  the  death  to-day.  Sefior,  that  is  Jose's  purpose ;  from 
a  San  Vincente  vaquero  I  heard  —  and  he  had  it  from 
the  lips  of  Manuel.  Jose  will  lasso  the  senor,  and  the 
horse  will  run  away  with  Jose,  and  the  senor  will  be 
killed.  Ah,  Senor !  —  Jose's  skill  is  great ;  and  Manuel 
swears  that  now  he  will  truly  fight  like  a  demon,  be 
cause  the  prayers  of  the  senorita  go  with  Jose.  Her 
glove  she  sent  him  for  a  token  —  Manuel  swears  that 
it  is  so,  and  a  message  that  he  is  to  kill  thee,  Senor !  " 

"  But  my  riata  ?  "  To  Diego's  amazement,  his  blue- 
eyed  god  seemed  not  in  the  least  disturbed,  either  by 
plot  or  gossip. 

"  Ah,  the  riata !  Last  night  I  greased  it  well,  Senor, 
so  that  to-day  it  would  be  soft.  And  this  morning  at 
daybreak  I  stretched  it  here  in  the  stall  and  rubbed  it 
until  it  shone.  Now  it  is  here,  Senor,  where  no  knife 
point  can  steal  into  it  and  cunningly  cut  the  strands 
that  are  hidden,  so  that  the  senor  would  not  observe  and 
would  place  faith  upon  it  and  be  betrayed."  Diego 
lifted  his  loose,  linen  shirt  and  disclosed  the  riata  coiled 
about  his  middle. 

The  eyes  of  his  god,  when  they  rested  upon  the  brown 
body  wrapped  round  and  round  with  the  rawhide  on 
which  his  life  would  later  hang,  were  softer  than  they 
had  been  since  he  had  craved  the  kiss  that  had  been 


FIESTA   DAY  283 

denied  him,  many  hours  before.  It  was  only  the  blind 
worship  and  the  loyalty  of  a  peon  whose  feet  were  bare, 
whose  hands  were  calloused  with  labor,  whose  face  was 
seamed  with  the  harshness  of  his  serfdom.  Only  a 
peon's  loyalty;  but  something  hard  and  bitter  and  reck 
less,  something  that  might  have  proved  a  more  serious 
handicap  than  a  strange  riata,  dropped  away  from 
Jack's  mood  and  left  him  very  nearly  his  normal  self. 
It  was  as  if  the  warmth  of  the  rawhide  struck  through  . 
the  chill  which  Teresita's  unreasoning  spite  had  brought 
to  the  heart  of  him,  and  left  there  a  little  glow. 

"  Gracias,  Diego,"  he  said,  and  smiled  in  the  way 
that  made  one  love  him.  "  Let  it  stay  until  I  have 
need  of  it.  It  will  surely  fly  true,  to-day,  since  it  has 
been  warmed  thus  by  thy  friendship." 

From  an  impulse  of  careless  kindness  he  said  it,  even 
though  he  had  been  touched  by  the  peon's  anxiety  for 
his  welfare.  But  Diego's  heart  was  near  to  bursting 
with  gratitude  and  pride;  those  last  two  words  —  he 
would  not  have  exchanged  the  memory  of  them  for  the 
gold  medal  itself.  That  his  blue-eyed  god  should  ad 
dress  him,  a  mere  peon,  as  "  thy,"  the  endearing,  inti 
mate  pronoun  kept  for  one's  friends!  The  tears  stood 
in  Diego's  black  eyes  when  he  heard;  and  Diego  was 
no  weakling,  but  a  straight-backed  stoic  of  an  Indian, 
who  stood  almost  as  tall  as  the  Sefior  Jack  himself  and 


284  THE    GRINGOS 

who  could  throw  a  full-grown  steer  to  the  ground  by 
twisting  its  head.  He  bowed  low  and  turned  to  fumble 
the  sweet,  dried  grasses  in  Surry's  manger ;  and  beneath 
his  coarse  shirt  the  feel  of  the  rawhide  was  sweeter 
than  the  embrace  of  a  loved  woman. 

"  You  want  to  take  mighty  good  care  of  this  little 
nag  of  mine/'  Dade  observed  irrelevantly,  his  fingers 
combing  wistfully  the  crinkly  mane.  "  There  '11  never 
be  another  like  him  in  this  world.  And  if  there  was, 
it  would  n't  be  him." 

"  I  reckon  it 's  asking  a  good  deal  of  you,  to  think 
of  using  him  at  all."  For  the  first  time  Jack  became 
conscious  of  his  selfishness.  "  I  won't,  Dade,  if  you  'd 
rather  I  did  n't." 

"  Don't  be  a  blamed  idiot.  You  know  I  want  you 
to  go  ahead  and  use  him ;  only  —  I  'd  hate  to  see  him 
hurt." 

To  Dade  the  words  seemed  to  be  wrenched  from  the 
very  fibers  of  his  friendship.  He  loved  that  horse 
more  than  he  had  ever  believed  he  could  love  an  animal ; 
and  he  was  mentally  sacrificing  him  to  Jack's  need. 

Jack  went  up  and  rubbed  Surry's  nose  playfully; 
and  it  cost  Dade  a  jealous  twinge  to  see  how  the  horse 
responded  to  the  touch. 

"  He  won't  get  hurt.  I  've  taught  him  how  to  take 
care  of  himself;  haven't  I,  Diego?"  And  he  put  the 


FIESTA   DAY  285 

statement  into  Spanish,  so  that  the  peon  could  under 
stand. 

"  Si,  he  will  never  let  the  riata  touch  him,  Senor. 
Truly,  it  is  well  that  he  will  come  at  the  call,  for 
otherwise  he  would  never  again  be  caught !  "  Diego 
grinned,  checked  himself  on  the  verge  of  venturing  an 
other  comment,  and  tilted  his  head  sidewise  instead,  his 
ears  perked  toward  the  medley  of  fiesta  sounds  outside. 

"  Listen,  Senors !  That  is  not  the  squeal  of  carts 
alone,  which  I  hear.  It  is  the  carriage  that  has  wheels 
made  of  little  sticks,  that  chatters  much  when  it  moves. 
Americanos  are  coming,  Senors." 

"  Americanos !  "  Dade  glanced  quickly  at  Jack, 
mutely  questioning.  "  I  wonder  if  — "  He  gave 
Surry  a  hasty,  farewell  slap  on  the  shoulder  and  went 
out  into  the  sunshine  and  the  clamor  of  voices  and 
laughter,  with  the  creaking  of  carts  threaded  through 
it  all.  The  faint,  unmistakable  rattle  of  a  wagon 
driven  rapidly,  came  towards  them.  While  they  stood 
listening,  came  also  a  confused  jumble  of  voices  emit 
ting  sounds  which  the  two  guessed  were  intended  for 
a  song.  A  little  later,  above  the  high-pitched  rattle  of 
the  wagon  wheels,  they  heard  the  raucous,  long-drawn 
"  Yank-ee  doo-oo-dle  da-a-andy !  "  which  confirmed  their 
suspicions  and  identified  the  comers  as  gringos  beyond 
a  doubt. 


286  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Must  be  a  crowd  from  San  Francisco,"  said  Jack 
needlessly.  "I  wrote  and  told  Bill  about  the  fiesta, 
when  I  sent  up  after  some  clothes.  I  told  him  to  come 
down  and  take  it  in  —  and  I  guess  he  's  coming." 

Bill  was;  and  he  was  coming  largely,  emphatically, 
and  vaingloriously.  He  had  a  wagon  well  loaded  with 
his  more  intimate  friends,  including  Jim.  He  had  a 
following  of  half  his  Committee  of  Vigilance  and  all 
the  men  of  like  caliber  who  could  find  a  horse  or  a  mule 
to  straddle.  Even  the  Roman-nosed  buckskin  of  sinister 
history  was  in  the  van  of  the  procession  that  came 
charging  up  the  slope  with  all  the  speed  it  could  muster 
after  the  journey  from  the  town  on  the  tip  of  the 
peninsula. 

In  the  wagon  were  a  drum,  two  fifes,  a  cornet,  and 
much  confusion  of  voices.  Bill,  enthroned  upon  the 
front  seat  beside  the  driver  of  the  four-horse  team, 
waved  both  arms  exuberantly  and  started  the  song  all 
over  again,  so  that  they  had  to  sing  very  fast  indeed 
in  order  to  finish  by  the  time  they  swung  up  to  the 
patio  and  stopped. 

Bill  scrambled  awkwardly  down  over  the  wheel  and 
gripped  the  hands  of  those  two  whose  faces  welcomed 
him  without  words.  "  Well,  we  got  here,"  he  an 
nounced,  including  the  whole  cavalcade  with  one  sweep 
ing  gesture.  "  Started  before  daylight,  too,  so  we 


FIESTA   DAY  287 

would  n't  miss  none  of  the  doings."  He  tilted  his  head 
toward  Dade's  ear  and  jerked  his  thumb  towards  the 
wagon.  "  Say !  I  brought  the  boys  along,  in  case  —  " 
His  left  eyelid  lowered  lazily  and  flew  up  again  into 
its  normal  position  as  Don  Andres,  his  sombrero  in  his 
hand,  came  towards  them  across  the  patio,  smiling  a 
dignified  welcome. 

Dade  spoke  not  a  word  in  reply,  but  his  eyes  bright 
ened  wonderfully.  There  was  still  the  element  of 
danger,  and  on  a  larger  scale  than  ever.  But  it  was 
heartening  to  have  Bill  Wilson's  capable  self  to  stand 
beside  him.  Bill  could  handle  turbulent  crowds  better 
than  any  man  Dade  had  ever  seen. 

They  lingered,  greeting  acquaintances  here  and  there 
among  the  arrivals,  until  Bill  was  at  liberty  again. 

"  Got  any  greaser  here  that  can  talk  white  man's 
talk,  and  you  can  trust  ?  "  was  Bill's  mild  way  of  in 
dicating  his  need  of  an  interpreter,  when  the  fiesta 
crowd  had  grown  to  the  proportions  of  a  multitude 
that  buzzed  like  giant  bees  in  a  tree  of  ripe  figs. 

"  Why  ?  What  do  you  want  of  one  ?  Valencia  will 
help  you  out,  I  guess."  Dade's  hesitation  was  born 
of  inattention  rather  than  reluctance.  He  was  watch 
ing  the  gesticulating  groups  of  Californians  as  a  gam 
bler  watches  the  faces  of  his  opponents,  and  the  little 
weather-signs  did  not  reassure  him. 


288  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Well,  there  's  good  money  to  be  picked  out  of  this 
crowd,"  said  Bill,  pushing  his  hands  deep  into  his 
pockets.  "  I  can't  understand  their  lingo,  but  faces 
talk  one  language ;  and  I  don't  care  what 's  the  color 
of  the  skin.  1 've  been  reading  what 's  wrote  in  their 
eyes  and  around  their  mouths.  I  can  get  big  odds  on 
Jack,  here,  if  I  can  find  somebody  to  talk  for  me.  How 
about  it,  Jack  ?  I  've  heard  some  say  there  's  more 
than  the  gold  medal  and  a  horse  up  on  this  lariat  game. 
I  've  heard  some  say  you  two  have  put  your  necks  in 
the  jack-pot.  On  the  quiet,  what  do  you  reckon  you  're 
going  to  do  to  the  greaser  ?  " 

Jack  shifted  his  glance  to  Dade's  face,  tense  with 
anxiety  while  he  waited.  He  looked  out  over  the  slope 
dotted  thickly  with  people,  laughed  briefly  and  mirth 
lessly,  and  then  looked  full  at  Bill. 

"  I  reckon  I  'm  going  to  kill  him,"  he  said  very 
quietly. 

Big  Bill  stared.  "  Say !  I  'm  glad  I  ain't  the 
greaser,"  he  said  dryly,  answering  a  certain  something 
in  Jack's  eyes  and  around  his  lips.  Bill  had  heard 
men  threaten  death,  before  now;  but  he  did  not  think 
of  this  as  a  threat.  To  him  it  seemed  a  sentence  of 
death. 

"  Jack,  you  '11  be  sorry  for  it,"  warned  Dade  under 
his  breath.  "  Don't  go  and  —  " 


FIESTA    DAY  289 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  any  remarks  on  the  subject." 
Never  in  all  the  years  of  their  friendship  had  Jack 
spoken  to  him  in  so  harsh  a  tone.  "  God  Almighty 
could  n't  talk  me  out  of  it.  I  'm  going  to  kill  him. 
Let  it  go  at  that."  He  turned  abruptly  and  walked 
away  to  the  stable,  and  the  two  stood  perfectly  still 
and  watched  him  out  of  sight. 

"  He  '11  do  it,  too,"  said  Dade  distressfully. 
"  There  9s  something  in  this  I  don't  understand  —  but 
he  '11  do  it." 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE    BATTLE   OF    BEASTS 

SWEATING,  impatient  humans  wedged  tight  upon 
the  seats  around  the  rim  of  the  great  adobe  corral, 
waited  for  the  bulls  to  dash  in  through  the  gate  and 
be  goaded  into  the  frenzy  that  would  thrill  the  spec 
tators  pleasurably.  Meantime,  those  spectators  munched 
sweets  and  gossiped,  smoked  cigarettes  and  gossiped; 
sweltered  under  the  glare  of  the  sun  and  gossiped; 
and  always  they  talked  of  the  gringos,  who  had  come 
one  hundred  strong  and  never  a  woman  among  them; 
one  hundred  strong,  and  every  man  of  them  dangling 
pistols  at  his  hips  —  pistols  that  could  shoot  six  times 
before  they  must  be  reloaded,  and  shoot  with  marvelous 
exactness  of  aim  at  that ;  one  hundred  strong,  and  every 
one  of  the  hundred  making  bets  that  the  gringo  with 
the  red-brown  hair  would  win  the  medalla  oro  from 
Don  Jose,  who  three  times  had  fought  and  kept  it  flash 
ing  on  his  breast,  so  that  now  no  vaquero  dared  lift 
eyes  to  it! 

Truly,  those  gringos  were  a  mad  people,  said  the 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  291 

gossips.  They  would  see  the  blue-eyed  one  flung  dead 
upon  the  ground,  and  then  —  would  the  gringos  want 
to  fight?  Knives  were  instinctively  loosened  under 
sashes  when  the  owners  talked  of  the  possibility. 
Knives  are  swift  and  keen,  but  those  guns  that  could 
shoot  six  times  with  one  loading —  Gossip  preferred 
to  dwell  greedily  upon  the  details  of  the  quarrel  be 
tween  the  young  Don  Jose  and  his  gringo  rival. 

There  were  whispers  also  of  a  quarrel  between  the 
senorita  and  her  gringo  lover,  and  it  was  said  that  the 
young  senorita  prayed  last  night  that  Jose  would  win. 
But  there  were  other  whispers  than  that:  One,  that 
the  maid  of  the  sefiorita  had  been  seen  to  give  a  rose 
and  a  written  message  into  the  hands  of  the  Senor 
Allen,  not  an  hour  ago;  and  had  gone  singing  to  her 
mistress  again,  and  smiling  while  she  sang.  Truly, 
that  did  not  look  as  if  the  senorita  had  prayed  for 
Jose !  The  Senor  Allen  had  kept  the  rose.  Look  you ! 
It  was  a  token,  and  he  would  doubtless  wear  it  upon 
his  breast  in  the  fight,  where  he  hoped  later  to  wear 
the  medalla  oro  —  but  where  the  hands  would  be  folded 
instead  while  the  padres  said  mass  for  him;  if  indeed 
mass  could  be  said  over  a  dead  gringo!  There  was 
laughter  to  follow  that  conceit.  And  so  they  talked,  and 
made  the  tedious  time  of  waiting  seem  shorter  than  it 
was. 


292  THE    GRINGOS 

Late  comers  looked  for  seats,  found  none,  and  were 
forced  to  content  themselves  with  such  perches  as 
neighboring  trees  and  the  roofs  of  the  outbuildings 
might  afford.  Peons  who  had  early  scrambled  to  the 
insecure  vantage-point  of  the  nearest  stable  roof,  were 
hustled  off  to  make  room  for  a  group  of  Salinas 
caballeros  who  arrived  late.  This  was  merely  the  bull 
fighting  coming  now;  but  bull-fighting  never  palls, 
even  though  bigger  things  are  yet  in  store.  For  there 
is  always  the  chance  that  a  horse  may  be  gored  to  death 
—  even  that  a  man  may  die  horribly.  Such  things  have 
been  and  may  be  again ;  so  the  tardy  ones  climbed  and 
scurried  and  attained  breathlessness  and  a  final  resting- 
place  together. 

Came  a  season  of  frenzied  yelling,  breathless  mo 
ments  of  suspense,  and  stamping  that  threatened  dis 
aster  to  the  seats.  Two  bulls  in  succession  had  been 
let  into  the  corral,  bellowed  under  the  shower  of  be- 
ribboned  barbs  and  went  down,  fighting  valiantly  to 
the  last. 

Blood-lusting,  the  great  crowd  screamed  importuni 
ties  for  more.  "  Bring  out  the  bear !  "  was  their  de 
mand.  "  Let  us  see  that  she-bear  fight  the  big  bull 
which  has  been  reserved  for  the  combat !  " 

Now,  this  was  ticklish  work  for  the  Picardo  vaqueros 
who  were  stage-managing  the  sport.  From  the  top  of 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  293 

the  corral  above  the  bear-cage  they  made  shift  to  slide 
the  oaken  gate  built  across  an  opening  into  the  adobe 
corral.  Through  the  barred  ceiling  of  the  pen  they 
prodded  the  bear  from  her  sulking  and  sent  her,  malevo 
lent  and  sullen,  into  the  arena.  (Senoras  tucked  vivid 
skirts  closer  about  stocky  ankles  and  sent  murmurous 
appeals  to  their  patron  saints,  and  senoritas  squealed 
in  trepidation  that  was  at  least  half  sincere.  It  was  a 
very  big  bear,  and  she  truly  looked  very  fierce  and  as 
if  she  would  think  nothing  of  climbing  the  adobe  wall 
and  devouring  a  whole  front  seat  full  of  fluttering 
femininity !  Rosa  screamed  and  was  immediately  reas 
sured,  when  Teresita  reminded  her  that  those  fierce 
gringos  across  the  corral  had  many  guns.) 

The  bear  did  not  give  more  than  one  look  of  hatred 
at  the  flutter  above.  Loose-skinned  and  loose- jointed  she 
shambled  across  the  corral ;  lifted  her  pointed  nose  to 
sniff  disgustedly  the  air  tainted  with  the  odor  of  enemies 
whom  she  could  not  reach  with  her  huge  paws,  and  went 
on.  Clear  around  the  corral  she  walked,  her  great, 
hand-like  feet  falling  as  silently  as  the  leaf  shadows  that 
splashed  one  whole  corner  and  danced  all  over  her  back 
when  she  passed  that  way;  back  to  the  pen  where  her 
two  cubs  whimpered  against  the  bars,  and  watched  her 
wishfully  with  pert  little  tiltings  of  their  heads.  (Te 
resita  was  confiding  to  Rosa,  beside  her,  that  they  would 


294  THE    GRINGOS 

each  have  a  cub  for  a  pet  when  the  mother  bear  was 
killed). 

Valencia  and  Pancho  and  one  other  were  straining 
to  shift  the  gate  of  another  pen.  It  was  awkward,  since 
they  must  work  from  the  top ;  for  the  adobe  corral  was 
as  the  jaws  of  a  lion  while  the  bear  circled  watch 
fully  there,  and  the  pen  they  were  striving  to  open  was 
no  safer,  with  the  big,  black  bull  rolling  bloodshot  eyes 
at  them  from  below.  He  had  been  teased  with  clods 
of  dirt  and  small  stones  flung  at  him.  He  had  shaken 
the  very  posts  in  their  sockets  with  the  impact  of  his 
huge  body  while  he  tried  to  reach  his  tormentors,  until 
they  desisted  in  the  fear  that  he  would  break  his  horns 
off  in  his  rage  and  so  would  cheat  them  of  the  sight 
of  the  good,  red  blood  of  the  she-bear.  Now  he  was 
in  a  fine,  fighting  mood,  and  he  had  both  horns  with 
which  to  fight.  From  his  muzzle  dribbled  the  froth 
of  his  anger,  as  he  stiffened  his  great  neck  and  rumbled 
a  challenge  to  all  the  world.  Twice,  when  the  gate 
moved  an  inch  or  two  and  creaked  with  straining,  he 
came  at  it  so  viciously  that  it  jammed  again;  indeed, 
it  was  the  batterings  of  the  bull  that  had  made  it  so 
hard  to  open. 

Valencia,  catching  a  timbered  crosspiece,  gave  it  a 
lift  and  a  heave.  The  gate  came  suddenly  free  and  slid 
back  as  they  strained  at  the  crosspiece. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  295 

The  bull,  from  the  far  side  of  the  pen  where  he  had 
backed  for  another  rush,  shot  clear  through  the  opening 
and  half-way  across  the  adobe  corral  before  he  realized 
that  he  was  free. 

The  bear,  at  pause  in  her  circlings  while  she  snuffed 
at  the  bars  that  now  separated  her  from  her  cubs, 
whirled  and  lifted  herself  awkwardly  upon  her 
haunches,  her  narrow  head  thrust  forward  sinisterly  as 
she  faced  this  fresh  annoyance.  Midway,  the  bull 
stopped  with  two  or  three  stiff-legged  jumps  and  glared 
at  her,  a  little  chagrined,  perhaps,  at  the  sudden  trans 
formation  from  human  foe  to  this  grizzled  hill-giant 
whom  instinct  had  taught  him  to  fear.  In  his  calf- 
hood  he  had  fled  many  times  before  the  menace  of 
grizzly,  and  perhaps  he  remembered.  At  any  rate  he 
stiffened  his  forelegs,  stopped  short,  and  glared. 

Up  above,  the  breaths  that  had  been  held  came  in  a 
shout  together.  Everyone  who  saw  the  pause  yelled  to 
the  bull  to  go  on  and  prove  his  courage.  And  the  bull, 
when  the  first  shock  of  surprise  and  distaste  had  passed, 
backed  ominously,  head  lowered,  tail  switching  in  spas 
modic  jerks  from  side  to  side.  The  bear  stood  a  little  ' 
straighter  in  her  defiance;  her  head  went  forward  an 
inch ;  beyond  that  she  did  not  move,  for  her  tactics  were 
not  to  rush  but  to  wait,  and  to  put  every  ounce  of  her 
terrible  strength  into  the  meeting. 


296  THE    GRINGOS 

The  neck  of  the  bull  swelled  and  curved,  his  eyeballs 
showed  glassy.  His  back  humped;  like  a  bowlder 
hurled  down  a  mountain  slope  he  made  his  rush,  and 
nothing  could  swerve  him. 

The  bear  might  have  dodged,  and  sent  him  crashing 
against  the  wall.  Men  hoped  that  she  would,  and  so 
prolong  the  excitement.  But  she  did  not.  She  stood 
there  and  waited,  her  forepaws  outspread  as  if  for  an 
embrace. 

Like  a  bullet  sent  true  to  the  target,  the  head  of 
the  bull  met  the  gaunt,  ungainly,  gray  shape;  met  and 
went  down,  the  tip  of  one  sharp  horn  showing  in  the 
rough  hair  of  her  back,  her  body  collapsing  limply  across 
the  neck  she  had  broken  with  one  tremendous  side-blow 
as  he  struck.  A  moment  she  struggled  and  clawed 
futilely  to  free  herself,  then  lay  as  quiet  as  the  bull 
himself.  And  so  that  spectacle  ended  swiftly  and  sud 
denly. 

In  the  reaction  which  followed  that  ten-seconds'  sus 
pense,  men  grumbled  because  it  had  ended  so  soon. 
But,  upon  second  thoughts,  its  very  brevity  brought  the 
duel  just  that  much  closer,  and  so  they  heaved  great 
sighs  of  relaxation  and  began  craning  and  looking  for 
the  two  to  enter  who  would  fight  to  the  death  with 
riatas. 

Instead,  entered  the  gringo  whom  Don  Andres  had 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  297 

foolishly  chosen  for  majordomo,  and  stood  in  the  mid 
dle  of  the  corral,  quietly  waiting  while  the  vaqueros 
with  their  horses  and  riatas  dragged  away  the  carcasses 
of  the  bull  and  the  bear. 

When  the  main  gate  slammed  shut  behind  them, 
Dade  lifted  his  eyes  to  that  side  of  the  corral  where 
the  Calif ornians  were  massed  clannishly  together,  and 
raised  his  hands  for  silence;  got  it  by  degrees,  as  a 
clamoring  breaker  subsides  and  dwindles  to  little,  whis 
pering  ripple  sounds;  and  straightway  began  in  the 
sonorous  melody  of  the  Castilian  tongue  which  had  been 
brought,  pure  and  undefiled,  from  Spain  and  had  not 
yet  been  greatly  corrupted  into  the  dialect  spoken  to-day 
among  the  descendants  and  called  Spanish. 

"  Sefiors,  and  Seiioras "  (so  he  began),  "the  hour 
is  now  midday,  and  there  are  many  who  have  come  far 
and  are  wearied.  In  the  orchard  you  will  find  re 
freshment  for  all ;  and  your  host,  Don  Andres  Picardo, 
desires  me  to  say  for  him  that  he  will  be  greatly 
honored  if  you  will  consider  that  all  things  are  yours 
to  be  used  for  your  comfort  and  pleasure. 

"  In  two  hours,  further  sports  will  take  place,  in 
the  open  beyond  this  corral,  so  that  the  seats  which  you 
now  occupy  will  serve  also  to  give  a  fair  view  of  the 
field.  There  will  be  riding  contests,  free  for  all 
caballeros  to  enter  who  so  desire,  and  the  prize  will 


298  THE    GRINGOS 

be  a  beautiful  silver-trimmed  bridle  that  may  be  seen 
at  the  saddle  house.  After  the  riding,  there  will  be 
a  contest  in  the  lassoing  and  tying  down  of  wild  steers, 
for  which  a  prize  of  a  silver  hatband  and  spurs  will 
be  given  by  Don  Andres  Picardo,  your  host.  Also  there 
will  be  the  riding  of  bulls ;  and  the  prize  for  the  most 
skillful  rider  will  be  a  silver-mounted  quirto  of  beauti 
ful  design. 

"  Immediately  after  these  various  contests  " —  Dade 
could  see  the  tensing  of  interest  among  his  listeners 
then  —  "  there  will  be  a  contest  with  riatas  between 
Don  Jose  Pacheco  and  Senor  Jack  Allen,  an  Americano 
vaquero  from  Texas.  As  the  prize  for  this  contest,  Don 
Andres  offers  Solano,  a  gelding,  four  years  of  age  and 
unbroken.  But  Don  Andres  makes  this  condition :  that 
the  winner  shall  lasso  his  prize  in  this  corral,  and  ride 
him  before  you  all.  If  he  should  chance  to  be  thrown, 
then  the  prize  shall  be  forfeited  to  the  other  contestant, 
who  will  also  be  required  to  ride  the  horse  before  you 
all.  If  he  also  shall  fail  to  ride  The  caballo,  then  will 
the  horse  revert  to  Don  Andres,  who  will  keep  him  for 
his  own  saddle  horse !  "  He  waited  while  the  applause 
at  this  sly  bit  of  humor  gradually  diminished  into  the 
occasional  pistol-popping  of  enthusiastic  palms,  and 
gestured  for  silence  that  he  might  speak  again. 

"  I  am  also  instructed  to  inform  you  that  not  alone 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  299 

for  the  prize  which  Don  Andres  offers  will  the  contest 
be  fought.  I  am  requested  to  announce  that  the  Texas 
vaquero,  Senor  Jack  Allen,  hereby  publicly  challenges 
Don  Jose  Pacheco  to  contest  for  the  gold  medal  which 
now  rests  in  the  possession  of  Don  Jose.  Senors  and 
Senoras,  I  thank  you  for  attending  so  graciously  to 
my  words,  and  I  wish  to  ask  for  continued  attention 
while  I  announce  the  sports  to  these  Americanos  who 
do  not  understand  the  Spanish,  and  who  are  also  the 
guests  of  Don  Andres  Picardo,  your  host." 

He  bowed  low  before  them,  turned  and  told  Bill 
Wilson's  solemnly  attentive  crowd  what  was  to  take 
place  after  the  feast.  Not  so  elaborate;  terse,  that  he 
might  not  try  the  politeness  of  that  other  crowd  too 
far.  And  when  he  was  done  he  stopped  himself  on 
the  verge  of  saying  more,  reconsidered  and,  trusting  to 
the  fact  that  scarce  a  Spaniard  there  spoke  English, 
added  a  warning. 

"  I  hope  you  all  realize,"  he  said,  "  that  we  're 
anxious  to  have  everything  go  off  peaceably.  We  look 
to  you  men  to  see  that,  whatever  may  happen,  there 
shall  be  no  disturbance.  Such  things  are  easier  started 
than  stopped ;  and,  just  as  a  hint  of  what  will  do  the 
most  to  keep  the  peace,  I  want  to  announce  that  the 
water  on  this  rancho  can't  be  beat,  £nd  can  safely  be 
used  for  drinking  purposes !  " 


300  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Water  goes,  m'  son,  or  I  '11  know  the  reason  why," 
called  Bill  Wilson,  and  the  palms  of  his  crowd  clapped 
vigorous  assent. 

"  That  thai 's  the  sensiblest  thing  you  've  said,  so 
fur,"  approved  Jerry  Simpson,  beside  Bill.  "  Me  an7 
the  twins  '11  stand  guard,  if  necessary,  and  see  't  that 
thar  hint  is  took."  Whereat  Bill  Wilson  clapped  him 
on  the  shoulder  approvingly. 

There  was  the  hum  of  confusion  while  the  hungry 
sought  the  barbecue  pits.  Dade,  his  face  settled  into 
gloomy  foreboding  in  spite  of  certain  heartening  cir 
cumstances,  went  slowly  away  to  his  room ;  where  Jack, 
refusing  to  take  any  interest  in  the  sports,  lay  sprawled 
upon  the  bed  with  a  cigarette  gone  cold  between  his 
lips  and  his  eyes  fixed  hardly  upon  the  ceiling. 

Dade  gave  him  a  look  to  measure  the  degree  of  his 
unapproachable  mood,  sighed  wearily  and  flung  his 
silver-spangled  sombrero  petulantly  into  a  corner. 

"  Damn !  "  he  said  viciously,  as  if  his  vocabulary 
was  so  inadequate  to  voice  his  emotions  that  the  one 
expletive  would  do  as  well  as  any  to  cover  his  meaning ; 
and  sat  down  heavily  in  a  cushioned  chair. 

Two  minutes,  perhaps,  of  silence,  while  from  sheer 
force  of  habit  he  rolled  a  cigarette  lie  did  not  want. 

Then  Jack  moved  his  head  on  the  pillow  so  that  he 
could  look  at  Dade. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  BEASTS  301 

"  I  wish  you  would  n't  take  my  affairs  so  to  heart," 
he  said,  apathy  fighting  his  understanding  and  his  ap 
preciation  of  a  friend  like  this.  "  I  'd  he  a  whole  lot 
easier  in  my  mind  if  I  did  n't  know  you  were  worried 
half  to  death.  And  it 's  no  good  worrying,  Dade.  Some 
things  just  come  at  a  fellow,  head  down;  and  they  have 
to  be  met,  if  we  expect  to  look  anybody  in  the  face 
again."  He  shifted  his  head  impatiently  and  stared 
again  at  the  ceiling.  "  I  'd  rather  be  dead  than  a 
coward,"  he  said,  speaking  low. 

"  Oh,  I  know.  But  —  men  are  just  beasts  with 
clothes  on  their  backs.  Did  you  hear  them  yelling, 
awhile  ago?  That  was  when  beasts  just  as  human  as 
they  are  under  the  skin,  fought  and  killed  each  other, 
so  those  yelling  maniacs  could  get  a  thrill  or  two." 
He  searched  his  pockets  for  a  match,  found  one  and 
drew  it  glumly  along  the  sole  of  his  high-heeled,  calf 
skin  boot  with  its  embroidered  top  of  yellow  silk  on 
red  morocco. 

"  That 's  what  makes  me  sick  to  the  stomach,"  he 
went  on.  "  They  '11  sit  and  watch  you  two,  and  they  '11 
gloat  over  the  spectacle  —  " 

A  brisk  tattoo  of  knuckles  on  the  oaken  door  stopped 
him.  Bill  came  in,  grinning  with  satisfaction  over 
something. 

"  Say,  I  Ve  been  getting  bets  laid  down  five  and 


302  THE    GRINGOS 

six  to  one,  on  the  greaser/'  he  exulted.  "You  go  in 
and  clean  him  up,  Jack,  and  we  '11  skin  this  outfit 
down  to  their  shirts !  All  the  boys  have  been  taking 
every  bet  that  was  offered;  and  the  old  don,  I  guess, 
is  about  the  only  greaser  on  the  place  that  ain't  bet  all 
he 's  got.  Three-to-one  that  Jose  gets  you  the  third 
pass,  m'  son !  Now,  I  don't  know  a  damned  thing 
about  this  here  lasso  business,  but  I  took  'em  on  that, 
and  so  did  a  lot  of  the  boys;  and  from  that  up  to 
six-to-one  that  he  '11  get  you !  Want  to  lay  a  few  bets 
yourself,  you  and  Bade  ?  That 's  what  I  come  to  find 
out." 

Dade  threw  out  both  hands  in  disgust  with  the  idea; 
revolted  unexpectedly  at  the  thought  of  being  accused 
of  failing  to  back  his  friendship  with  money  as  well 
as  with  every  fiber  of  his  loyal  being,  and  turned  sourly 
to  Bill.  "  I  've  got  something  like  six  or  eight  hundred 
in  dust,"  he  said.  "  Lend  me  enough  to  make  it  a 
thousand,  and  put  'er  up.  Take  any  odds  they  offer, 
damn  'em.  It  '11  be  blood  money,  win  or  lose,  but  — 
put  'er  up.  They  can't  yowl  around  that  I  'm  afraid 
to  back  him  down  to  my  boots." 

"  That 's  the  kinda  talk !  "  approved  Bill.  "  Make 
'em  take  water  all  around,  the  swine!  And  the  boys 
'11  see  they  cough  up  afterwards,  too.  I  guess  —  "  He 
checked  himself  and  went  out,  still  grinning. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE   DUEL,    OF    EIATAS 

"fTIHEY'RE  riding  the  last  bull,"  announced 
JL  Bade,  coming  into  the  room  again  where  Jack 
was  dressing  for  the  supreme  test  of  the  day.  "  I  've 
got  your  plan  for  the  ground  explained  to  Valencia 
and  Pancho,  and  Diego's  shining  Surry  up  till  you 
can  see  your  face  in  him.  You  ought  to  be  thankful 
there 's  somebody  on  the  lookout  as  faithful  as  that 
Injun.  I  just  discovered  he  has  n't  had  a  bite  to  eat 
since  last  night,  because  he  would  n't  leave  Surry  long 
enough  to  get  anything.  I  hope  you  're  grateful." 

"  I  am,"  said  Jack  shortly.  "  But  I  've  no  business 
to  be.  Right  now  I  don't  believe  much  in  the  sloppy 
whine  of  gratitude  or  the  limber-backed  prayer  for 
mercy.  Thankful  or  not,  we  get  what  we  get.  Fate 
hands  it  out  to  us;  and  we  may  as  well  take  it  and 
keep  our  mouths  shut." 

"  That 's  the  result  of  cooping  yourself  in  here  all 
day,  just  thinking  and  smoking  cigarettes,"  grumbled 
Dade,  himself  worried  to  the  point  of  nervous  petu- 


304  THE    GRINGOS 

lance.  If  he  could  have  taken  his  own  riata  and  fought 
also,  he  would  have  been  inueh  nearer  his  usual  calm, 
humorous  self. 

"  Say,  I  told  Jose  the  rules  you  suggested,  and  he 
agreed  to  every  one  like  a  gentleman.  He  just  came, 
and  Manuel  with  him  leading  the  horse  Jose  means 
to  use;  a  big,  black  brute  with  a  chest  on  him  like  a 
lion.  His  crowd  stood  on  their  hind  legs  and  yelled 
themselves  purple  when  they  saw  him  come  riding 
up." 

"  Well,  that 's  what  they  Ve  come  for  —  to  yell  over 
Jose."  Jack  held  three  new  neckties  to  the  light,  try 
ing  to  choose  the  one  he  would  wear. 

"  Say  —  "  Dade  hesitated,  looking  doubtfully  at 
the  other. 

"  Well  ?  Say  it."  Jack  chose  a  deep  crimson  and 
flung  the  loop  over  his  head  as  if  he  were  arraying 
himself  for  a  ball. 

"  It  may  be  some  advantage  to  know  .  .  .  I've 
watched  Jose  lasso  cattle ;  he  always  uses  —  " 

"  Stop  right  there !  "  Jack  swung  to  face  him.  "  I 
don't  want  to  know  how  Jose  works  with  his  riata.  He 
don't  know  any  of  my  little  kinks,  don't  you  see?  I 
never,"  he  added,  after  a  little  silence,  "  started  out 
with  the  deliberate  intention  of  killing  a  man,  before. 
I  can't  take  any  advantage,  Dade;  you  know  that,  just 


THE    DUEL    OF    RIATAS     305 

as  well  as  I  do."  He  tried  to  smile,  to  soften  the  re 
buff  —  and  he  failed. 

Dade  went  up  and  laid  a  contrite  hand  upon  his 
shoulder.  "  You  're  a  better  man  than  I  am,  Jack," 
he  asserted  humbly.  "  But  it 's  hell  for  me  to  stand 
back  and  let  you  go  into  this  thing  alone.  I  've  got 
piles  of  confidence  in  you,  old  boy  —  but  Jose  never 
got  that  medal  by  saying  *  pretty,  please '  and  holding 
out  his  hand.  The  best  lassoer  in  California  means 
something.  And  he  means  to  kill  you  —  " 

"  If  I  '11  let  him,"  put  in  Jack,  stretching  his  lips 
in  what  passed  for  a  grin. 

"  I  know  —  but  you  've  been  off  the  range  for  two 
years,  just  about ;  and  you  've  had  a  little  over  three 
weeks  to  make  up  for  that  lost  practice."  His  eyes 
caught  their  two  reflections  in  the  glass,  and  some 
thing  in  Jack's  made  him  smile  ruefully.  "  Kick  me 
good,"  he  advised.  "  I  need  it.  I  Ve  got  nerves  worse 
than  any  old  woman.  I  know  you  '11  come  out  on  top. 
You  always  do.  But  —  what  'n  hell  made  you  say 
riatas?" 

"  What  'n  hell  made  you  brag  about  me  to  Manuel  ?  " 
Jack  came  back  instantly,  and  was  sorry  for  it  when 
he  saw  how  Dade  winced.  "  Honest,  I  'm  not  a  bit 
scared.  I  know  what  I  can  do,  and  I  'm  not  worrying." 

"  You  are.     I  never  saw  you  so  queer  as  you  have 


306  THE    GRINGOS 

been  since  I  came  back.  You  're  no  more  like  yourself 
than  —  " 

"Well  — but  it  ain't  the  duel  altogether."  Jack 
hesitated.  "  Say,  Dade !  Did  —  er  —  did  Teresita 
take  in  all  the  sports  ?  Bull  fight  and  all  ?  " 

"  Yes.  She  and  that  friend  of  hers  from  the  Mis 
sion  were  in  the  front  row  having  the  time  of  their 
lives.  Is  that  talk  true  about  — "  Dade  eyed  him 
sharply. 

"  You  go  on  and  get  things  ready.  In  five  minutes 
I  '11  expect  to  make  my  little  bow  to  Fate." 

Outside  in  the  sunshine,  men  waited  and  clamored 
greedily  for  more  excitement.  All  day  they  had  waited 
for  the  duel,  at  most  merely  appeased  by  the  other 
sports;  and  now,  with  Jose  actually  among  them,  and 
with  the  wine  they  had  drunk  to  heat  their  blood  and 
the  mob-psychology  working  its  will  of  them,  they  were 
scarce  human,  but  rather  a  tremendous  battle  beast  per 
sonified  by  dark,  eager  faces  and  tongues  that  wagged 
continually  and  with  prejudice. 

A  group  of  spur- jingling  vaqueros,  chosen  because 
of  their  well-broken  mounts,  rode  out  in  front  of  the 
adobe  corral  and  the  expectant  audience,  halted  and 
dispersed  to  their  various  stations  as  directed  by  Dade, 
clear-voiced,  steady  of  glance,  unemotional,  as  if  he 
were  in  charge  of  a  bit  of  work  from  habit  gone  stale. 


THE    DUEL    OF    RIATAS     307 

He  might  confess  to  "  nerves  "  in  private ;  in  public, 
there  were  men  who  marveled  at  his  calm. 

Riatas  uncoiled  and  with  each  end  fastened  to  a 
saddle  horn,  the  vaqueros  filed  out  from  the  corral  in 
two  straight  lines,  with  Bade  and  Valencia  to  lead  the 
way.  When  they  were  placed  to  Dade's  liking,  the 
riatas  fenced  in  a  rectangle  two  hundred  yards  long, 
and  one-third  that  distance  across.  At  each  riata 
length,  all  down  the  line,  a  vaquero  sat  quiet  upon  his 
horse,  a  living  fence-post  holding  the  riata  fence  tight 
and  straight.  Down  the  middle  of  the  arena  thus 
formed  easily  with  definite  boundaries,  peons  were 
stretching,  upon  forked  stakes,  a  rope  spliced  to  reach 
the  whole  six  hundred  feet  —  save  that  a  space  of  fifty 
feet  was  left  open  at  each  end  so  that  the  combatants 
might,  upon  occasion,  change  sides  easily. 

Twice  Dade  paced  the  width  of  the  area  to  make 
sure  that  the  dividing  line  marked  the  exact  center. 
When  the  last  stake  was  driven  deep  and  the  rope  was 
knotted  securely  in  place,  he  rode  straight  to  the  corral 
and  pulled  up  before  the  judges'  stand  for  his  final 
announcement. 

It  was  a  quiet  crowd  now  that  he  faced.  A  mass  of 
men  and  women,  tense,  silent,  ears  and  eyes  strained 
to  miss  no  smallest  detail.  He  had  no  need  to  lift  his 
hand  for  their  attention ;  he  had  it  —  had  it  to  the 


308  THE    GRINGOS 

extent  that  every  man  there  was  unconscious  of  his 
neighbor.  That  roped  area  was  something  new,  some 
thing  they  had  not  been  expecting.  Also  the  thing 
Dade  told  them  sounded  strange  to  these  hot-blooded 
ones,  who  had  looked  forward  to  a  whirlwind  battle, 
with  dust  and  swirling  riatas  and  no  law  except  the 
law  of  chance  and  superior  skill  and  cunning. 

"  The  two  who  will  fight  with  riatas  for  the  medalla 
oro  and  for  the  prize  which  Don  Andres  offers  to  the 
victor,"  he  began,  "  have  agreed  upon  certain  rules 
which  each  has  promised  to  observe  faithfully,  that 
skill  rather  than  luck  may  be  the  chief  factor  in  the 
fight.  These  are  the  rules  of  the  contest: 

"  None  but  those  two,  Don  Jose  Pacheco  and  Sefior 
Allen,  will  be  permitted  within  the  square  we  have 
marked  off  for  them  after  the  first  signal  shot  is  fired. 
They  will  toss  a  coin  for  first  position  and  will  start 
from  opposite  ends  of  the  ground.  At  the  signal,  which 
will  be  a  pistol  shot,  they  will  mount  and  ride  with  the 
center  rope  between  them.  Upon  meeting "  —  he 
stopped  long  enough  for  a  quick  smile  — "  they  will 
try  what  they  can  do.  If  both  miss,  they  will  coil  their 
riatas  and  hang  them  from  the  horn,  and  ride  on  to 
the  end;  there  they  will  dismount  and  wait  for  the 
second  signal  for  starting. 

"  They  will  repeat  these  maneuvers  until  the  con- 


THE    DUEL    OF    RIATAS     809 

test  is  decided,  one  way  or  the  other,  but  at  no  time 
will  they  start  before  the  signal  is  given. 

"  Kemember,  no  one  else  will  be  permitted  inside 
the  line,  at  any  time;  also,  neither  of  the  contestants 
may  pass  the  dividing  line  unless  he  has  the  other  at 
his  mercy  —  when  —  he  may  cross  if  he  chooses."  It 
cost  Bade  something,  that  last  sentence,  but  he  said  it 
firmly;  repeated  the  rules  more  briefly  in  English  and 
rode  out  of  the  square,  a  vaquero  slackening  the  first 
riata  of  the  line  to  leave  a  space  for  him  to  pass.  And 
as  he  went,  there  was  nothing  in  his  manner  to  show 
how  ticklish  he  felt  the  situation  to  be. 

Only,  when  he  came  upon  Jack,  just  riding  out  from 
the  stable  upon  Surry,  his  lips  drew  tight  and  thin. 
But  he  merely  waved  his  hand  and  went  on  to  tell 
Jose  that  he  wanted  Manuel  to  give  the  signals,  for 
then  all  would  be  sure  that  there  would  be  no  un 
fairness. 

He  was  gone  perhaps  two  minutes;  yet  when  he  re 
turned  with  Manuel  glowering  beside  him,  that  fenced 
area  was  lined  four  deep  with  horsemen  all  around; 
and  so  had  they  segregated  themselves  instinctively, 
friend  with  friend,  that  the  northern  side  was  a  mass 
of  bright  colors  to  show  that  there  stood  the  Spanish 
caballeros;  and  opposite  them,  a  more  motley  showing 
and  yet  a  more  sinister  one,  stood  the  Americanos,  with 


310  THE    GRINGOS 

Bill  Wilson  pressed  against  the  rope  half-way  down  the 
line,  and  beside  him  big  Jerry  Simpson,  lounging  upon 
Moll,  his  black  mule. 

Instinctively,  Dade  rode  around  to  them,  beckoning 
Manuel  to  follow;  and  placed  him  between  Jerry  and 
Bill;  explained  that  Manuel  was  to  fire  the  starting 
signals,  and  smiled  his  thanks  when  Jerry  promptly 
produced  one  of  his  "  twins  "  and  placed  it  in  Man 
uel's  hands. 

"  P'int  her  nose  in  the  air,  mister,  when  you  turn 
her  loose,"  he  advised  solemnly.  "  She  's  loaded  fur 
Far!" 

"  Keep  your  eyes  open,"  Dade  warned  Bill  Wilson 
when  he  turned  to  ride  back;  and  Bill  nodded  under- 
standingly.  Bill,  for  that  matter,  usually  did  keep 
his  eyes  open,  and  to  such  purpose  that  nothing  es 
caped  them. 

Back  at  the  corral,  Dade  saw  Jack  waiting  upon 
Surry  in  the  shade  of  the  adobe  wall  until  the  moment 
came  for  entering  the  arena.  Near  to  him,  Jose  calmed 
his  big,  black  horse  and  waited  also,  cold  hauteur  the 
keynote  of  his  whole  attitude.  Dade  waved  his  hand 
to  them,  and  they  followed  him  into  the  empty  rectangle. 
From  the  crowd  came  a  rustle  as  of  a  gust  of  wind 
through  treetops;  then  they  were  still  again,  watching 
and  waiting  and  listening. 


THE    DUEL    OF   RIATAS     811 

Those  for  whom  they  had  watched  all  day  at  last 
stood  side  by  side  before  them;  and  the  picture  they 
made  must  have  pleased  the  most  exacting  eye  that 
looked  down  upon  them. 

For  Jose  was  all  black  and  silver,  from  the  tasseled, 
silver  cord  upon  his  embroidered  sombrero  to  the  great 
silver  rowels  of  his  spurs.  Black  velvet  jacket,  black 
velvet  breeches  with  silver  braid  glistening  in  heavy, 
intricate  pattern ;  black  hair,  black  eyes  —  and  a  black 
frown,  withal,  and  for  good  reason,  perhaps.  For, 
thinking  to  win  a  smile  from  her  who  had  sent  the  glove 
and  the  message,  Jose  looked  towards  the  nearest  and 
most  comfortable  seat,  where  Teresita  sat,  smiling  and 
resplendent,  between  her  mother  and  Kosa.  He  had 
looked,  had  Jose,  and  had  seen  her  smile;  but  he  saw 
that  it  was  not  at  him  she  smiled,  but  at  Jack.  It 
is  true,  the  smile  may  have  been  merely  scornful;  but 
Jose  was  in  no  mood  for  nice  analysis,  and  the  hurt 
was  keen  enough  because  she  smiled  at  all,  and  it  made 
his  mood  a  savage  one. 

Jack  was  all  white  and  red  save  for  the  saddle,  which 
was  black  with  silver  trimmings ;  and  Surry,  milk  white 
from  ears  to  heel,  served  to  complete  the  picture  satisfy- 
ingly.  Diego  must  have  put  an  extra  crimp  in  mane 
and  tail,  for  the  waves  were  beautiful  to  behold ;  he  had 
surely  polished  the  hoofs  so  that  they  shone ;  and  nature 


312  THE    GRINGOS 

had  done  the  rest,  when  she  made  Surry  the  proud, 
gentle,  high-stepping  animal  he  was.  Jack  wore 
breeches  and  jacket  of  soft,  white  leather  —  and  none 
but  Bill  Wilson  knew  what  they  had  cost  in  time, 
trouble,  and  money.  A  red,  silk  sash  was  knotted  about 
his  middle ;  the  flaming,  crimson  tie  fluttered  under  his 
chin;  and  he  was  bareheaded,  so  that  his  coppery  hair 
lifted  from  his  untanned  forehead  in  the  breeze,  and 
made  many  a  seiiorita's  pulse  quicken  admiringly. 
For  Jack,  think  what  you  will  of  him  otherwise,  was 
extremely  good  to  look  upon. 

"  Heads  for  Don  Jose !  "  A  Mexican  dollar,  spun 
high  in  air  from  Dade's  fingers,  glittered  and  fell 
straight.  Three  heads  bent  to  see  which  side  came 
uppermost,  and  thousands  of  necks  craned  futilely. 

"  Don  Jose  will  choose  his  starting-point/'  Dade 
called  out.  "  But  first  the  two  will  lead  their  horses 
over  the  ground,  so  that  they  may  make  sure  that  there 
are  no  holes  or  stones  to  trip  them." 

Even  in  that  preliminary,  they  showed  how  differently 
two  persons  will  go  about  doing  the  same  thing.  Jose, 
trailing  immense,  silver  spur-rowels,  walked  with  the 
bridle  reins  looped  over  his  arm,  his  eyes  examining 
critically  every  foot  of  the  ground  as  he  passed. 

Jack,  loosening  his  riata  as  he  dismounted,  caught 
the  loop  over  the  high  horn  and  let  the  rope  drop  to  the 


THE    DUEL    OF    RIATAS     313 

ground.  He  wore  no  spurs;  and  as  for  Surry,  he  had 
no  bridle  and  bit,  but  a  hackamore  instead. 

Jack  threw  the  reins  over  the  neck  of  the  horse. 
"  Come,  old  fellow,"  he  said,  quite  as  if  he  were  speak 
ing  to  a  person,  and  started  off.  And  Surry,  his  neck 
arched,  his  ears  perked  knowingly,  stepped  out  after 
him  with  that  peculiar,  springy  gait  that  speaks  elo 
quently  of  perfect  muscles  and  a  body  fairly  vibrating 
with  energy;  the  riata  trailed  after  him,  every  little 
tendency  towards  a  kink  taken  out  of  it. 

"  Dios !  What  a  caballo  is  that  white  one !  "  Dade 
heard  a  Salinas  man  exclaim,  and  flushed  at  the  praise. 

Back  they  came,  Jack  and  Surry,  with  Jack  ten  feet 
in  advance  of  the  horse ;  for  Jose  had  chosen  to  remain 
at  the  southern  end,  with  the  sun  at  his  left  shoulder. 
Jack,  for  all  his  eagerness  to  begin,  found  time  to  shake 
hands  with  Bill  and  say  a  word  to  some  others  as  he 
passed  —  and  those  eyes  up  there  that  watched  did  not 
miss  one  single  movement. 

"  Look,  you !  The  gringo  is  telling  his  friends  adios 
while  he  may !  "  some  one  shouted  loudly  from  across 
the  arena;  and  a  great  laugh  roared  from  the  throats 
that  were  dark,  and  hand-clapping  at  the  witticism 
made  the  speaker  a  self-conscious  caballero  indeed. 

At  the  corral,  which  was  his  starting-point,  Jack  took 
up  the  dragging  riata,  and  with  his  handkerchief  wiped 


314  THE    GRINGOS 

off  the  dust  while  he  coiled  it  again;  hung  it  over  the 
saddle  horn  and  waited  for  the  signal. 

He  was  scowling  now  at  certain  remarks  that  came 
to  his  ears  from  the  seats,  with  titters  and  chuckles  to 
point  their  wit.  But  he  sent  a  cheering  eye-signal  to 
Bade,  whose  face  was  strained  and  noticeably  white 
under  the  tan. 

Half-way  down  the  line,  among  the  Americans,  there 
was  a  little  stir,  and  then  a  pistol  barked  with  that  loud 
crash  which  black  powder  makes.  Jack,  on  the  instant 
when  the  smoke  curled  up  in  a  little,  balloon-like  puff, 
turned  and  leaped  into  the  saddle.  The  duel  of  riatas 
was  begun. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

FOE   LOVE   AND   A   MEDAL 

DOWN  the  roped  lane  thundered  Jose,  whirling 
his  riata  over  his  head  till  the  loop  had  taken 
full  twenty  of  the  sixty  feet  of  rawhide. 

Galloping  to  meet  him,  Jack  gave  his  rope  a  forward, 
downward  fling  and  formed  a  little  loop  —  a  loop  not 
one-third  the  size  of  Jose's  —  and  held  it  dangling  be 
side  Surry's  shoulder.  So,  at  the  very  start,  they 
showed  themselves  different  in  method,  even  though 
they  might  be  the  same  in  skill. 

They  met,  with  fifteen  feet  between  them  as  they 
flashed  past.  Jose  flung  out  his  lifted  hand.  The 
loop  hissed  and  shot  straight  for  Jack's  head. 

Jack  flung  out  his  little  loop,  struck  the  big  one 
fairly,  and  threw  it  aside.  Even  so,  the  end  might  have 
caught  him,  but  for  the  lengthening  lunge  which  Surry 
made  in  mid-air.  The  loop  flecked  Surry's  crinkled 
tail  and  he  fled  on  to  the  far  end  and  stopped  in  two 
short,  stiff-legged  jumps. 

As  Jack  coiled  his  riata  and  slid  off  he  heard  the 


316  THE    GRINGOS 

caballeros  yelling  praise  of  Jose.  But  he  did  not  mind 
that  in  the  least.  In  that  one  throw  he  had  learned 
Jose's  method ;  the  big  loop,  the  overhead  swirl  —  di 
rect,  bullet-swift,  deadly  in  its  aim.  He  knew  now 
what  Bade  had  wanted  to  tell  him  —  what  it  was  vital 
that  he  should  know.  And  —  he  hugged  the  thought 
—  Jose  did  not  know  his  method ;  not  yet. 

A  shot,  and  he  was  off  again  with  his  little  loop. 
Jose,  like  a  great,  black  bird,  flew  towards  him  with  the 
big  loop.  As  they  neared  he  saw  Jose's  teeth  show  in 
the  smile  of  hate.  He  waited,  his  little  loop  ready  for 
the  fling  should  his  chance  come. 

Jose"  was  over-eager.  The  great,  rawhide  hoop 
whistled  and  shot  down  aslant  like  the  swoop  of  a  night- 
hawk.  Surry's  eye  was  upon  it  unwinkingly.  He  saw 
where  the  next  leap  would  bring  him  within  its  terr 
rible  grip,  and  he  made  that  leap  to  one  side  instead, 
so  that  the  rawhide  thudded  into  the  dust  alongside  his 
nose.  He  swerved  again  lest  Jose"  in  jerking  it  up 
should  catch  his  feet,  and  went  on  with  an  exultant 
toss  of  his  white  head.  It  was  the  game  he  knew  — 
the  game  Diego  had  played  with  him  many  times,  to 
the  discomfiture  of  the  peon. 

".He  is  a  devil  —  that  white  caballo!"  cried  a 
chagrined  voice  from  among  the  vaqueros  crowding  the 
ropes  so  that  they  bulged  inward. 


FOR   LOVE   AND  A   MEDAL    317 

"  Hah !  devil  or  no,  they  will  go  down,  those  two 
white  ones !  Saw  you  the  look  of  Jose  as  he  passed  ? 
He  has  been  playing  with  them  for  the  sport  of  the 
people.  Look  you!  I  have  gold  on  that  third  throw. 
The  next  time  —  it  is  as  Jose  chooses  —  " 

The  bark  of  the  pistol  cut  short  the  boastings  of  that 
vaquero.  This  was  the  third  pass,  and  much  Spanish 
gold  would  be  lost  upon  that  throw  if  Jose  missed. 

"  Three  to  one,  m'  son/'  bawled  Bill  Wilson  remind- 
ingly,  as  Jack  loped  past  with  his  little  loop  hanging 
beside  him,  ready  but  scarcely  seeming  so.  Jose  was 
coming  swiftly,  the  big  horse  lunging  against  the  Span 
ish  bit,  his  knees  flung  high  with  every  jump  he  made, 
like  a  deer  leaping  through  brush.  And  there  was  the 
great,  rawhide  loop  singing  its  battle-song  over  his 
head,  with  the  soft  who-oo-oo  before  he  released  it  for 
the  flight. 

He  aimed  true  —  but  Surry  had  also  a  nice  eye  for 
distance.  He  did  not  swerve ;  he  simply  stiffened  every 
muscle  and  stopped  short.  Even  as  he  did  so  the  black 
horse  plunged  past ;  and  Jack,  lifting  his  hand,  whirled 
his  loop  swiftly  once  to  open  it,  and  gave  it  a  backward 
fling. 

Straight  past  his  shoulder  it  shot,  whimpering,  fol 
lowing,  reaching  —  the  force  of  the  fling  carrying  it 
far,  far  .  .  .  Jose  heard  it  whining  behind  him,  glanced 


318  THE    GRINGOS 

quickly,  thought  to  beat  it  to  the  end  of  its  leash.  He 
leaned  far' over  —  farther,  so  that  his  cheek  touched  the 
flying  black  mane  of  his  horse.  He  dug  deep  with  his 
spurs  —  but  he  dug  too  late. 

The  little  loop  narrowed  —  it  had  reached  as  far  as 
sixty  feet  of  rawhide  could  reach  and  have  any  loop 
at  all.  It  sank,  and  caught  the  outflung  head  of  the 
black  horse;  slid  back  swiftly  and  caught  Jose  as  the 
horse  lunged  and  swung  short  around;  tightened  and 
pressed  Jose's  cheek  hard  against  the  black  mane  as  the 
rawhide  drew  tight  across  the  back  of  his  neck. 

The  black  horse  plunged  and  tried  to  back  away;  the 
white  one  stiffened  against  the  pull  of  the  rope.  Be 
tween  the  two  of  them,  they  came  near  finishing  Jose 
once  for  all.  And  from  the  side  where  stood  the  white 
men  came  the  vicious  sound  of  a  pistol  shot. 

"  Slack,  Surry !  "  Jack,  on  the  ground,  glimpsed  the 
purpling  face  of  his  foe.  "  Slack,  you  devil !  " 

Near  sixty  feet  he  had  to  run  —  and  Jose  was 
strangling  before  his  eyes;  strangling,  because  Surry's 
instant  obedience  was  offset  by  Jose's  horse,  who,  facing 
the  other  at  the  first  jerk  of  the  riata,  backed  involun 
tarily  with  the  pull  of  the  pinioned  reins.  The  Spanish 
bit  was  cutting  his  mouth  cruelly,  and  Jose's  frenzied 
clawing  could  not  ease  the  cruel  strain  upon  either  of 
them. 


FOR   LOVE   AND  A   MEDAL    3i9 

A  few  terrible  seconds,  and  then  Jack  overtook  them, 
caught  the  horse  by  the  bridle,  and  stopped  him;  and 
the  blood  which  the  cruel  bit  had  brought  when  the 
spade  cut  deep,  stained  Jack's  white  clothes  red  where 
it  fell. 

"  Slack,  Surry !  Come  on !  "  he  cried,  his  voice  harsh 
with  the  stress  of  that  moment.  And  when  the  rawhide 
hung  loose  between  the  two  horses  he  freed  Jose  of  the 
deadly  noose,  and  saw  where  it  had  burnt  raw  the  skin 
of  his  neck  on  the  side  where  it  touched.  A  snaky,  six- 
strand  riata  can  be  a  rather  terrible  weapon,  he  decided, 
while  he  loosed  it  and  flung  it  from  him. 

Jose,  for  the  first  time  getting  breath  enough  to  gasp, 
tried  to  straighten  himself  in  the  saddle;  lurched,  and 
would  have  gone  off  on  his  head  if  Jack  had  not  put 
up  a  hand  to  steady  him.  So  he  led  him,  a  shaken, 
gasping,  disarmed  antagonist,  across  the  little  space  that 
separated  them  from  where  Don  Andres  and  four  other 
Spanish  gentlemen  sat  before  the  middle  gate  of  the 
corral. 

"  Bravo !  "  cried  a  sweet,  girl  voice ;  and  a  rose, 
blood-red  and  heavy  with  perfume,  fell  at  Jack's  feet. 
He  gave  it  one  cold  glance  and  let  it  lie.  In  another 
moment  the  black  horse  crushed  it  heedlessly  beneath 
his  hoof,  as  Jack  turned  to  the  judges. 

"  Senors,  I  bring  you  Don  Jose  Pacheco." 


320  THE    GRINGOS 

So  suddenly  had  the  contest  ended  that  those  riders 
who  helped  to  form  the  riata  fence  stood  still  in  their 
places,  as  if  another  round  had  yet  to  be  fought.  Be 
yond  the  pistol  shot  and  the  girl  voice  crying  well  done, 
the  audience  was  quiet,  waiting. 

Then  Jose,  sitting  spent  upon  his  horse,  lifted  a 
hand  that  shook  weakly.  His  fingers  fumbled  at  his 
breast,  and  he  held  out  the  shining  medal  of  gold  —  the 
medal  with  diamonds  prisoning  the  sunlight  so  that  the 
trinket  flashed  in  his  hand. 

"  Senor,"  he  said  huskily,  "  the  medalla  —  it  is 
yours." 

Jack  looked  at  him;  looked  at  the  bent  faces  of  the 
frowning  judges;  looked  up  at  Teresita,  watching  the 
two  with  red  lips  parted  and  breath  coming  quickly; 
looked  again  queerly  at  Jose,  gasping  still,  and  holding 
out  to  him  the  medalla  oro.  Jack  did  a  good  deal  of 
thinking  in  a  very  short  space  of  time. 

"  I  don't  want  your  medal/'  he  said.  "  Let  some 
Californian  fight  you  for  it,  if  he  likes.  That  is  not 
for  a  gringo." 

Perhaps  there  was  a  shade  of  the  theatrical  element 
in  his  speech  and  his  manner,  but  he  was  perfectly  inno 
cent  of  any  such  intention;  and  the  people  before  him 
were  nothing  if  not  dramatic.  He  got  his  response  in 
the  bravos  and  the  applause  that  followed  the  silence 


FOR   LOVE    AND   A   MEDAL    321 

of  sheer  amazement.  "  Gracias !  "  they  cried,  in  their 
impulsive  appreciation  of  his  generosity. 

"  The  horse  which  you  offered  for  a  prize,  Don 
Andres,  I  will  claim,"  Jack  went  on,  when  he  could 
be  heard  —  and  he  did  not  wait  long,  for  short-lived 
indeed  is  the  applause  given  to  an  alien.  "  And  I  will 
ride  him  as  soon  as  you  desire." 

"  Yes !  Let  us  see  him  ride  that  caballo !  "  cried 
the  fickle  mass  of  humanity.  "  By  a  trick  of  chance 
he  won  the  duelo,  and  the  medalla  he  refused  because 
he  knows  it  was  not  won  fairly.  Where  is  that  yellow 
caballo  which  no  man  has  ridden?  Let  him  show  us 
what  he  can  do  with  that  yellow  one !  " 

Dade,  pushing  his  way  exultantly  toward  him,  saw 
the  blaze  of  anger  at  their  fickleness  leap  into  Jack's 
eyes. 

"  Si,  I  will  show  you !  "  he  called  out.  "  It  is  well 
that  you  should  see  some  horsemanship!  Bring  the 
yellow  caballo,  then.  Truly,  I  will  show  you  what  I 
can  do." 

"  Come,  Surry,"  called  Dade,  and  the  white  horse 
walked  up  to  him  and  nibbled  playfully  his  bearskin 
chaparejos.  "  Solano  's  in  the  little  corral,  off  this  big 
one.  I  '11  bring  your  saddle  —  " 

"  I  don't  want  any  saddle.  I  'm  going  to  ride  him 
bareback,  with  a  rope  over  his  nose.  Let  me  have  your 


322  THE    GRINGOS 

spurs,  will  you  ?  Did  you  hear  them  say  I  won  the  duel 
with  luck  ?  I  ?11  show  these  greasers  what  a  gringo  can 
do !  "  He  spoke  in  Spanish,  to  show  his  contempt  of 
their  opinion  of  him,  and  he  curled  his  lip  at  the  jibes 
they  began  to  fling  down  at  him;  the  jibes  and  the 
taunts  —  and  vague  threats  as  well,  when  those  who 
had  wagered  much  upon  the  duelo  began  to  reckon 
mentally  their  losings. 

In  the  adobe  corral  he  stood  with  his  riata  coiled  in 
his  hand  and  Dade's  spurs  upon  his  heels,  and  waited 
until  Solano,  with  a  fling  of  heels  into  the  air,  rushed 
in  from  the  pen  where  the  big  bull  had  waited  until 
he  was  let  out  to  fight  the  grizzly. 

"  Bareback  he  says  he  will  ride  that  son  of  Satanas !  " 
jeered  a  wine-roughened  voice.  "  Boaster  that  he  is, 
look  you  how  he  stands !  He  is  afraid  even  to  lasso 
that  yellow  one !  " 

Jack  was  indeed  deliberate  in  his  movements.  He 
stood  still  while  the  horse  circled  him  twice  with  head 
and  tail  held  high.  When  Solano  brought  up  with  a 
flourish  on  the  far  side  of  the  corral,  Jack  turned  to 
Dade  and  Valencia  standing  guard  at  the  main  gate, 
their  horses  barring  the  opening. 

"  See  that  it  Js  kept  clear  out  in  front,"  he  told 
them.  "  I  '11  come  out  a-flying  when  I  do  come,  most 
likely." 


FOR   LOVE    AND   A   MEDAL    823 

Whereat  those  who  heard  him  laughed  derisively. 
"  Never  to  the  gate  will  you  ride  him,  gringo  —  even 
so  you  touch  his  back!  Not  twice  will  the  devil  give 
you  luck,"  they  yelled,  while  they  scrambled  for  the 
choicest  positions. 

Jack,  standing  in  the  center  quietly,  smiled  at  them, 
and  gave  the  flip  downward  and  forward  that  formed 
the  little  loop  to  which  he  seemed  so  partial.  He  tossed 
that  loop  upward,  straight  over  his  head ;  a  careless  little 
toss,  it  looked  to  those  who  watched.  His  hand  began 
to  rotate  upon  his  supple  wrist  joint  —  and  like  a  live 
corkscrew  the  rawhide  loop  went  up,  and  up,  and  up, 
and  grew  larger  while  it  climbed. 

Solano  snorted;  and  the  noise  was  like  a  gun  in  the 
dead  silence  while  those  thousands  watched  this  miracle 
of  a  rawhide  riata  that  apparently  climbed  of  its  own 
accord  into  the  air. 

The  loop,  a  good  ten  feet  in  diameter,  swirled  hori 
zontally  over  his  head.  The  coil  in  his  hand  was  paid 
out  until  there  was  barely  enough  to  give  him  power 
over  the  rest.  His  hand  gave  a  quick  motion  sidewise, 
and  the  loop  dropped  true,  and  settled  over  the  head 
of  Solano. 

Jack  flung  a  foot  backward  and  braced  himself  for 
the  pull,  the  riata  drawn  across  one  thigh  in  the  "  hip- 
hold  "  which  cowboys  use  to-day  when  they  rope  from 


324  THE    GRINGOS 

the  ground.  Solano  gave  one  frightened  lunge  and 
brought  up  trembling  with  surprise. 

That  he  knew  nothing  of  the  feel  of  a  rope  worked 
now  to  Jack's  advantage,  for  sheer  astonishment  held 
the  horse  quiet.  A  flip,  and  the  riata  curled  in  a  half- 
hitch  over  Solano' s  nose;  and  Jack  was  edging  slowly 
towards  him,  his  hands  moving  along  the  taut  riata 
like  a  sailor  climbing  a  rope. 

Solano  backed,  shook  his  head  futilely,  snorted,  and 
rolled  his  eyes  —  mere  frills  of  resentment  that  formed 
no  real  opposition  to  Jack's  purpose.  Five  minutes 
of  maneuvering  to  get  close,  and  Jack  had  twisted  his 
fingers  in  the  taffy-colored  mane;  he  went  up,  and 
landed  fairly  in  the  middle  of  Solano's  rounded  back 
and  began  swiftly  coiling  the  trailing  riata. 

"  Get  outa  the  way,  there !  "  he  yelled,  and  raked 
the  big  spurs  backward  when  Solano's  forefeet  struck 
the  ground  after  going  high  in  air.  Like  a  bullet  they 
went  out  of  that  corral  and  across  the  open  space  where 
the  duel  had  been  fought,  with  Dade  and  Valencia 
spurring  desperately  after. 

It  took  a  long  ten  minutes  to  bring  Solano  back, 
chafing,  but  owning  Jack's  mastery  —  for  the  time 
being,  at  least.  He  returned  to  a  sullen  audience,  save 
where  the  Americans  cheered  him  from  their  side  of  the 
corral. 


FOR   LOVE   AND  A   MEDAL    325 

"  He  is  a  devil  —  that  blue-eyed  one !  "  the  natives 
were  saying  grudgingly  to  one  another;  but  they  were 
stubborn  and  would  not  cheer.  "Saw  you  ever  a  riata 
thrown  as  he  threw  it  ?  Not  Jose  Pacheco  himself  ever 
did  so  impossible  a  thing;  truly  the  devil  is  in  that 
gringo."  So  they  muttered  amongst  themselves  when 
he  came  back  to  the  corral  and  slipped,  laughing,  from 
Solano's  sweat-roughened  back. 

"  You  can  have  your  Surry !  "  he  cried  boastfully  to 
Dade,  who  was  the  first  to  reach  him.  "  Give  me  a 
month  to  school  him,  and  this  yellow  horse  will  be 
mighty  near  as  good  as  your  white  one.  I  'd  rather 
have  him  than  forty  gold  medals !  " 

"  Senor,"  —  it  was  Jose,  his  neck  wrapped  in  a  white 
handkerchief,  coming  forward  from  where  he  had  sat 
with  Don  Andres  —  "  Seiior,  I  am  sorry  that  I  did  not 
kill  you;  but  yet  I  admire  your  skill,  and  I  wish  to 
thank  you  for  your  generosity ;  the  medalla  is  not  mine, 
even  though  you  refuse  it.  Since  I  have  found  one  bet 
ter  than  I,  Don  Andres  shall  keep  the  medalla  until  I  or 
some  other  caballero  has  won  it  fairly.  For  my  life, 
which  you  also  refused  to  take,  I  —  cannot  thank  you." 

Jack  looked  at  him  intently.  "  You  will  thank  me," 
he  said  grimly,  "  later  on." 

Jose's  face  went  white.  "  Senor,  you  do  not 
mean  —  " 


326  THE    GRINGOS 

"  I  do  mean  —  just  that." 

"  But,  Senor  —  "  There  are  times  when  pride  drops 
away  from  the  proudest  man  and  leaves  him  weak  to 
the  very  core  of  him ;  weak  and  humbled  beyond  words. 

Big  Jerry  Simpson  saved  that  situation  from  be 
coming  intolerable.  With  Moll's  great  ears  flopping 
solemnly  to  herald  his  approach,  Jerry  rode  up,  per 
fectly  aware  that  he  brought  a  murmur  of  curiosity 
from  those  who  saw  his  coming. 

For  Jerry  was  leading  Manuel  by  the  ear;  Manuel 
with  his  hands  tied  behind  him  with  Jerry's  red 
bandanna;  Manuel  with  his  lips  drawn  away  from  his 
teeth  in  the  desire  to  kill,  and  his  eyes  sullen  with  the 
impotence  of  that  desire. 

"  Sa-ay,"  drawled  Jerry,  when  he  came  up  to  the 
little  group,  "  what  d  'ye  want  done  with  this  here 
greaser  that  fired  on  Jack?  Some  of  the  fellers  over 
there  wanted  to  take  him  out  and  hang  him,  but  I 
kinda  hated  to  draw  attention  away  from  Jack's 
p'formance  —  which  was  right  interesting.  Bill  Wil 
son,  he  reckoned  I  better  fetch  him  over  here  and  ask 
you  fellers  about  it;  Bill  says  this  mob  of  greasers 
might  make  a  fuss  if  the  agony  's  piled  on  too  thick, 
but  whatever  you  say  will  be  did."  With  his  unoccu 
pied  hand  he  helped  himself  to  a  generous  chew  of  to 
bacco,  and  spat  gravely  into  the  dust. 


FOR   LOVE    AND   A   MEDAL    327 

"  Fer  as  I  ?m  concerned/7  he  drawled  lazily,  "  I  'm 
willin'  to  help  string  him  up.  He  done  as  dirty  a  trick 
as  ever  I  seen,  and  he  done  it  deliberate.  I  had  m'  eye 
peeled  fer  him  all  the  time,  and  I  seen  he  was  n't  goin' 
to  stand  back  and  let  Jack  git  the  best  of  that  greaser 
if  he  could  help  it.  He  was  cunnin'  —  but  shucks !  I 
see  all  along  why  he  kept  that  gun  p'inted  out  front  —  " 

"  Turn  him  loose,"  said  Dade  suddenly,  interrupt 
ing  him.  "  We  don't  want  to  start  any  trouble,  Jerry. 
He  may  need  hanging,  but  we  can't  afford  to  give  him 
what  he  deserves.  It  'a  a  ticklish  crowd,  right  now ; 
they  've  lost  a  lot  on  the  duel,  and  they  've  drunk  enough 
wine  to  swim  a  mule.  Turn  him  loose.  I  mean  it,"  he 
added,  when  he  caught  the  incipient  rebellion  in  Jerry's 
weather-beaten  face.  "  I  'm  bossing  things  here  to-day. 
He  did  n't  hit  anybody,  and  I  'm  beginning  to  think  we 
can  get  through  the  day  without  any  real  trouble,  if 
we  go  easy." 

"  Wa-al  —  "  Jerry  scratched  his  stubbly  jaw  reflec 
tively  with  his  free  hand,  and  looked  down  at  his  cap 
tive.  "  I  '11  give  him  a  derned  good  wallopin',  then, 
just  to  learn  him  manners.  I  've  been  wantin'  to  lick 
him  since  yesterday  mornin'  when  he  tried  to  drive  off 
Bawley  and  Lay-fayette  and  William  Penn.  I  lost  two 
hours  off'n  my  work,  argyin'  with  him.  I  '11  take  that 
outa  his  hide,  right  now." 


328  THE    GRINGOS 

He  induced  Moll  to  turn  around,  and  led  Manuel 
away  from  the  presence  of  the  women  lest  they  should 
be  shocked  at  his  deed;  and  on  the  cool  side  of  the 
farthest  shed  he  did  indeed  give  Manuel  a  "  derned 
good  walloping."  After  which  he  took  a  fresh  chew  of 
tobacco,  lounged  over  to  where  Moll  waited  and 
switched  desultorily  at  the  flies,  mounted,  and  went 
placidly  home  to  his  Mary. 


Bill  Wilson,  having  collected  their  winnings  and  his 
own,  sought  Dade  and  Jack,  where  they  were  lying 
under  the  shade  of  a  sycamore  just  beyond  the  rim  of 
the  crowd  chattering  shrilly  of  the  later  events.  With 
a  grunt  of  relief  to  be  rid  of  the  buzzing,  Bill  flung 
himself  down  beside  them  and  plucked  a  cigar  from  an 
inner  pocket. 

"  Say,"  he  began,  after  he  had  bitten  off  the  end  of 
the  cigar  and  had  moistened  the  whole  with  his  tongue. 
"  Them  greasers  sure  do  hate  to  come  forward  with 
their  losings !  Some  bets  I  never  will  be  able  to  collect ; 
but  I  got  a  lot  —  enough  to  pay  for  the  trouble  of 
coming  down."  He  rolled  over  upon  his  back  and  lay 
smoking  and  looking  up  into  the  mottled  branches  of 
the  tree;  thought  of  something,  and  lifted  himself  to 
an  elbow  so  that  he  faced  Jack. 


FOR   LOVE    AND   A   MEDAL    329 

"  Sa-ay,  I  thought  you  said  you  was  going  to  kill 
that  greaser,"  he  challenged  quizzically. 

Jack  shrugged  his  shoulders,  took  two  long  draws  on 
his  cigarette,  and  blew  one  of  his  pet  smoke-rings.  "  I 
did."  He  moistened  his  lips  and  blew  another  ring. 
"  At  least,  I  killed  the  biggest  part  of  him  —  and  that 's 
his  pride." 

Bill  grunted,  lay  down  again,  and  stared  up  at  the 
wide-pronged  sycamore  leaves.  "  Darn  my  oldest  sis 
ter's  cat's  eyes  if  I  ever  seen  anything  like  it !  "  he 
exploded  suddenly,  and  closed  his  eyes  in  a  vast  content. 

From  the  barbecue  pits  there  came  an  appetizing  odor 
of  roasting  beef;  high-keyed  voices  flung  good-humored 
taunts,  and  once  they  heard  a  great  shout  of  laughter 
surge  through  the  crowd  gathered  there.  From  the  great 
platform  built  under  a  group  of  live  oaks  near  the  patio 
they  heard  the  resonant  plunk-plunk-plunk  of  a  harp 
making  ready  for  the  dance,  and  the  shrill  laughter  of 
slim  senoritas  hovering  there.  Down  the  slope  before 
the  three  the  shadows  stretched  longer  and  longer.  A 
violin  twanged  in  the  tuning,  the  harp-strings  crooning 
the  key. 

"  You  fellows  are  going  to  dance,  ain't  yuh  ?  "  Bill 
inquired  lazily,  when  his  cigar  was  half  gone  to  ashes 
and  smoke.  "  Jack,  here,  can  get  pardners  enough  to 
keep  him  going  fer  a  week  —  judging  by  the  eyes  them 


330  THE   GRINGOS 

Spanish  girls  have  been  making  at  him  since  the  duel 
and  the  horse-breaking. 

"  Say !  How  about  that  sassy-eyed  Picardo  girl  ? 
I  ain't  seen  you  and  her  in  speaking  distance  all  day; 
and  the  way  you  was  buzzing  around  her  when  I  was 
down  here  before  —  " 

"  Say,  Jack,"  Dade  interrupted,  diplomacy  winning 
against  politeness,  "  I  never  dreamed  you  'd  have  the 
nerve  to  try  that  fancy  corkscrew  throw  of  yours  before 
all  that  crowd.  Why,  after  two  years  to  get  out  of 
practice,  you  took  an  awful  chance  of  making  a  fool 
of  yourself !  Y'  see,  Bill,"  he  explained  with  a  de 
liberate  garrulity,  "  that  throw  he  made  when  he  caught 
the  horse  was  the  finest  bit  of  rope-work  that 's  been 
done  to-day.  I  don't  believe  there  's  another  man  in 
the  crowd  that  could  do  it;  and  the  chances  are  they 
never  saw  it  done  before,  even!  I  know  I  never  saw 
but  one  man  beside  Jack  that  could  do  it.  Jack  was 
always  at  it,  when  we  happened  to  be  laying  around 
with  nothing  to  do,  and  I  know  he  had  to  keep  his 
hand  in,  or  he  'd  make  a  fizzle  of  it.  Of  course,"  he 
conceded,  "  you  did  n't  miss  —  but  if  you  had  — 
Wow !  "  He  shook  his  head  at  the  bare  possibility. 

Jack  grinned  at  him.  "  I  'm  not  saying  how  much 
moonlight  I  used  up,  practicing  out  in  the  orchard 
when  everybody  else  was  asleep.  I  reckon  I  've  made 


FOR   LOVE   AND  A   MEDAL    331 

that  corkscrew  five  thousand  times  in  the  last  three 
weeks !  " 

"  Where  you  belong,"  bantered  Bade,  "  is  on  the 
stage.  You  do  love  to  create  a  sensation,  better  than 
any  one  I  ever  —  " 

"  Seiiors  — "  Diego  came  hurriedly  out  of  the 
shadows  behind  them.  "  The  patron  begs  that  you  will 
honor  his  table  by  dining  with  him  to-night.  In  one 
little  half-hour  will  he  hope  to  see  you;  and  Don  Jose 
Pacheco  will  also  be  happy  to  meet  the  senors,  if  it  is 
the  pleasure  of  the  senors  to  meet  him  and  dine  in  his 
company.  The  patron,"  added  Diego,  with  the  faintest 
suspicion  of  a  twinkle  in  his  pensive  black  eyes,  "  de 
sires  also  that  I  shall  extend  to  you  the  deep  regret 
of  the  senora  and  the  senorita  because  it  will  be  im 
possible  for  them  to  be  present." 

The  three  looked  at  one  another,  and  in  Bill's  eyes 
dawned  slowly  the  light  of  understanding. 

"  Tell  the  patron  we  are  honored  by  the  invitation, 
and  that  it  gives  us  much  pleasure  to  accept,"  Dade 
replied  for  the  three  of  them,  after  a  moment  spent  in 
swift,  mental  measuring  of  the  situation.  "  Jack, 
you  Ve  got  to  get  them  bloody  clothes  off,  and  some 
decent  ones  on.  Come  on,  Bill ;  half  an  hour  ain't  any 
too  much  time  to  get  ready  in." 

Half-way  to  the  house  they  walked  without  saying 


332  THE    GRINGOS 

a  word.  Then  Bade,  walking  between  the  two,  sud 
denly  clapped  a  hand  down  upon  the  shoulder  of  each. 

"  Say,  I  could  holler  my  head  off !  "  he  exulted. 
"  I  'm  going  to  quit  worrying  about  anything,  after 
this ;  the  nights  I  Ve  laid  awake  and  worried  myself 
purple  over  this  darned  fiesta  —  or  the  duel,  rather ! 
And  things  are  turning  out  smooth  as  a  man  could  ask. 

"  Jack,  I  'm  proud  to  death  of  you,  and  that  7s  a 
fact.  With  that  temper  of  yours,  I  kinda  looked  for 
you  to  get  this  whole  outfit  down  on  you;  but  the 
way  you  acted,  I  don't  believe  there  's  a  man  here,  ex 
cept  Manuel,  that  ?s  got  any  real  grudge  against  you, 
even  if  they  did  lose  a  lot  of  money  on  the  fight.  And 
it  ?s  all  the  way  you  behaved,  old  boy  —  like  a  prince ! 
Just  —  like  a  —  blamed  prince !  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  —  Jose  acted  pretty  white,  him 
self.  You  Ve  got  to  admit  that  it 's  Jose  that  took  the 
fight  out  of  the  crowd.  I  'm  glad  —  "  He  did  not 
finish  the  sentence,  and  they  were  considerate  enough 

not  to  insist  that  he  should. 

*  ****** 

Warm  sunlight,  and  bonfires  fallen  to  cheerless, 
charred  embers  and  ashes  gone  gray;  warm  sunlight, 
and  eyes  grown  heavy  with  the  weariness  of  surfeited 
pleasure.  Bullock  carts  creaked  again,  their  squealing 
growing  gradually  fainter  as  the  fat-jowled  senoras 


FOR   LOVE    AND   A   MEDAL    333 

lurched  home  to  the  monotony  of  life,  while  the  seno- 
ritas  drowsed  and  dreamed,  and  smiled  in  their  dream 
ing. 

At  the  corrals,  red-lidded  caballeros  cursed  irritably 
the  horses  they  saddled.  In  the  patio  Don  Andres 
gave  dignified  adieu  to  the  guests  that  still  lingered. 
The  harp  was  shrouded  and  dumb  upon  the  platform, 
the  oaken  floor  polished  and  dark  with  the  night-long 
slide  of  slippered  feet.  The  fiesta  was  slipping  out 
of  the  present  into  the  past,  where  it  would  live  still 
under  the  rose-lights  of  memory. 

There  was  a  scurry  of  little  feet  in  the  rose-garden. 
A  door  slammed  somewhere  and  hushed  the  sound  of 
sobbing.  A  senorita  —  a  young  and  lovely  senorita 
who  had  all  her  life  been  given  her  way  —  fled  to  her 
room  in  a  great  rage,  because  for  once  her  smiles  had 
not  thawed  the  ice  which  her  anger  had  frozen. 

The  senorita  flung  something  upon  the  floor  and 
trampled  it  with  her  little  slipper-heels ;  a  rose,  blood- 
red  and  withered,  yet  heavy  with  perfume  still ;  a  rose, 
twin  to  the  one  upon  which  the  black  horse  of  Jose  had 
set  his  foot  in  the  arena.  A  note  she  tore  in  little 
bits,  with  fingers  that  tingled  still  from  the  slap  she 
had  given  to  Diego,  who  had  brought  it.  She  flung  tho 
fragments  from  her,  and  the  writing  was  fine  and  fem 
inine  in  every  curve  —  her  own,  if  you  wish  to  know ; 


334  THE    GRINGOS 

the  note  she  had  sent,  twenty-four  hours  before,  to  her 
blue-eyed  one  whom  she  had  decided  to  forgive. 

"  Santa  Maria !  "  she  gasped,  and  gritted  her  teeth 
afterwards.  "  This,  then,  is  what  he  meant  —  that 
insolent  one !  '  After  the  fiesta  will  I  send  the  answer  ' 
—  so  he  told  that  simpering  maid  who  took  my  letter 
and  the  rose.  And  the  answer,  then,  is  my  rose  and 
my  letter  returned,  and  no  word  else.  Madre  de 
Dios!  That  he  should  flout  me  thus!  Now  will  I 
tell  Jose  to  kill  him  —  and  kill  him  quickly.  For  that 
blue-eyed  gringo  I  hate !  "  Then  she  flung  herself 
across  her  bed  and  wept. 

Let  the  tender-hearted  be  reassured.  The  seiiorita 
slid  from  sobbing  into  slumber,  and  her  dreams  were 
pleasant,  so  that  she  woke  smiling.  That  night  she 
sang  a  love-song  to  Jose,  behind  the  passion  vines ;  and 
her  eyes  were  soft;  and  when  young  Don  Jose  pulled 
her  fingers  from  the  guitar  strings  and  kissed  them 
many  times,  her  only  rebuke  was  such  a  pursing  of 
lips  that  they  were  kissed  also  for  their  mutiny. 

After  awhile  the  senorita  sang  again,  while  Jose, 
his  neck  held  a  little  to  one  side  because  of  his  hurt, 
watched  her  worshipfully,  and  forgot  how  much  he  had 
suffered  because  of  her.  She  was  seventeen,  you  see, 
and  she  was  lovely  to  look  upon;  and  as  for  a  heart  — 
perhaps  she  would  develop  one  later. 


CHAPTEK  XXV 

ADIOS 

THE  sun  was  sliding  past  the  zenith  when  Jack 
yawned  himself  awake.  He  lay  frowning  at  the 
ceiling  as  if  he  were  trying  to  remember  something, 
sat  up  when  recollection  came,  and  discovered  that  Dade 
was  already  up  and  getting  into  his  jacket. 

"  Dade,  let 's  go  back  to  the  mine,"  he  suggested 
abruptly,  reaching  for-  his  boots.  "  You  are  n't  crazy 
about  this  job  here,  are  you  ?  I  know  you  did  n't  want 
to  take  it,  at  first." 

"  And  I  know  you  bullied  me  into  it,"  Dade  retorted, 
with  some  acrimony.  He  had  danced  until  his  feet 
burned  with  fatigue,  and  there  was  the  reaction  from 
a  month  of  worry  to  roughen  his  mood.  Also,  he  had 
yet  to  digest  the  amazing  fact  that  the  sight  of  Teresita 
had  not  hurt  him  so  very  much  —  not  one  quarter  as 
much  as  he  had  expected  it  would  do.  Now,  here  was 
Jack  proposing  to  leave,  just  when  staying  would  be 
rather  agreeable! 

"  Well  —  but  times  have  changed,  since  then.     I  'm 


336  THE    GRINGOS 

ready  to  go."  Jack  pulled  on  a  boot  and  stamped  his 
foot  snugly  into  it.  "  What 's  more,  I  'm  going !  " 

"  You  '11  eat,  first,  won't  you  ?  " 

Jack  passed  over  the  sarcasm.  "  No,  sir,  I  won't. 
I  'm  not  going  to  swallow  another  mouthful  on  this 
ranch.  I  held  myself  down  till  that  damned  fiesta  was 
over,  because  I  did  n't  want  folks  to  say  I  was  scared 
off.  But  now  —  I  'm  going,  just  as  quick  as  the  Lord  '11 
let  me  get  a  saddle  on  that  yellow  mustang." 

"Why,  you  —  " 

"  Why,  I  nothing !  I  'm  going.  If  you  want  to  go 
along,  you  can;  but  I  won't  drag  you  off  by  the  heels. 
You  can  suit  yourself."  He  stamped  himself  into  the 
other  boot,  went  over  and  splashed  cold  water  into  his 
eyes  and  upon  his  head,  shook  off  the  drops  that  clung 
to  his  hair,  made  a  few  violent  passes  with  towel  and 
brush,  and  reached  for  his  sombrero. 

"  It 's  a  long  ways  to  ride  on  an  empty  stomach," 
Dade  reminded  him  dryly. 

"  We  can  stop  at  Jerry  Simpson's  and  eat.  That 
won't  be  more  than  a  mile  or  so  out  of  the  way."  Jack's 
hand  was  on  the  latch. 

"  And  that  yellow  horse  ain't  what  you  can  call  trail- 
broke." 

"  He  will  be,  by  the  time  I  get  to  the  mine !  " 

Dade   threw  out  both   hands   in   surrender.      "  Oh, 


ADIOS  337 

well  —  you  darned  donkey,  give  me  time  to  tell  Don 
Andres  good-by,  anyway." 

Jack's  eyes  lighted  with  the  smile  Dade  knew  and 
loved  to  see.  "  Dade,  they  don't  make  'em  any  better 
than  you,"  he  cried,  and  left  the  door  to  try  and  break 
a  shoulder-blade  with  the  flat  of  his  hand,  just  to  show 
his  appreciation  of  such  friendship.  "  Bill  Wilson  has 
got  enough  gold  that  he  pulled  out  of  the  crowd  for  us 
yesterday  to  grub-stake  us  for  a  good  long  while,  and 
—  I  can't  get  out  of  this  valley  a  minute  too  soon  to 
suit  me/'  he  confessed.  "  You  go  on  and  hunt  up  Don 
Andres,  while  I  tackle  Solano.  I  '11  wait  for  you  — 
but  don't  ask  me  to  stay  till  after  dinner,  because  I 
won't  do  it. 

"  We  don't  want  to  go  off  without  saying  good-by  to 
Jerry  and  his  wife,  anyway ;  and  we  '11  beg  a  meal 
from  the  old  Turk,  and  listen  to  some  more  yarns  about 
Tige,  just  to  show  we  're  friendly.  I  '11  have  Surry 
saddled,  so  all  you  've  got  to  do  is  make  your  talk  to 
the  don  and  pack  your  socks." 

Dade  grinned  and  followed  him  outside.  "  Good 
thing  I  'm  used  to  you,"  he  commented  grimly,  "  or 
my  head  would  be  whirling,  right  now."  Not  a  word, 
you  will  observe,  as  to  whether  his  own  interests  would 
be  furthered  by  this  sudden  departure;  but  that  was 
Dade's  way.  Not  a  word  about  the  sudden  change 


338  THE    GRINGOS 

from  last  evening,  when  Jack  had  eaten  at  Don  Andres' 
table  and  had  talked  amiably  with  Jose  —  amiably  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  every  one  of  them  understood  per 
fectly  that  the  amiability  was  but  the  flowers  of  courtesy 
strewn  over  a  formal  —  and  perhaps  a  temporary  — 
truce.  But  Jose  was  not  a  fixture  upon  the  ranch,  and 
the  don's  friendship  for  the  two  seemed  unchanged. 

Dade  did  not  argue  nor  did  he  question.  Barring 
details,  he  thought  he  understood  why  it  was  that  Jack 
wanted  to  go  —  why  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  stay. 
A  girl  may  be  only  seventeen  and  as  irresponsible  as  a 
kitten,  but  for  all  that  she  may  play  an  important  part 
in  the  making  and  the  marring  of  a  man's  most  practical 
plans. 

When  he  returned  from  the  house,  Don  Andres 
walked  beside  him.  The  two  of  them  reached  the  cor 
ral  just  as  Jack  released  Solano's  foot  from  the  raw 
hide  loop  that  had  held  it  high  while  Jack  cinched  the 
saddle  in  place.  When  Jack  saw  them  he  came  for 
ward,  wiping  from  his  face  the  beads  of  perspiration 
which  the  tussle  had  brought  there. 

"  Seiior  Hunter  tells  me  that  you  are  going  away," 
Don  Andres  began  almost  at  once.  "  That  you  are  act 
ing  wisely  I  am  truly  convinced,  Senor  Allen,  though 
it  irks  me  to  say  that  it  is  so.  For  a  little  time  would 
all  be  well,  perchance;  for  as  long  as  your  generosity 


ADIOS  339 

fills  the  heart  of  Jose  with  gratitude,  so  that  no  ill  will 
finds  room  there.  But  his  temper  is  hot  and  hasty,  as 
is  yours ;  and  with  other  considerations  which  one  must 
face  —  "  He  held  out  his  hand  for  farewell. 

"  Adios,  Seiior.  I  am  indeed  sorry  that  you  must 
leave  us,"  he  said  simply.  "  Under  other  circumstance 
I  should  urge  you  to  remain;  but  my  lips  are  sealed, 
as  you  well  know.  Adios,  amigo  mio.  I  have  liked 
thee  well."  He  gripped  Jack's  hand  warmly,  and 
turned  away.  Dade  he  gave  a  final  handclasp,  and 
walked  slowly  back  to  the  house,  his  proud  old  head 
bowed  upon  his  chest. 

Valencia,  yawning  prodigiously,  came  forth  from  the 
vaqueros'  hut  and  glimpsed  them  just  as  Jack  was  bring 
ing  Solano  to  something  like  decent  behavior  before 
they  started  down  the  slope. 

"  Dios !  "  cried  Valencia,  and  ran  to  see  what  was 
taking  place.  For  while  the  taming  of  a  mustang  is 
something  which  a  man  may  undertake  whenever  the 
mood  of  him  impels,  the  somewhat  bulky  packages  tied 
behind  the  high  cantles  could  mean  nothing  save  a 
journey. 

When  they  told  him,  he  expostulated  with  tears  in 
his  eyes.  He  had  been  nursing  since  yesterday  a  secret 
hope  that  the  blue-eyed  one  would  teach  him  that  won 
derful  trick  of  making  a  riata  climb  upward  of  its 


340  THE    GRINGOS 

own  accord  as  if  it  were  a  live  thing.  Beyond  that  he 
was  genuinely  distressed  to  see  them  go,  and  even  threat 
ened  to  go  with  them  before  he  yielded  finally  to  the 
inevitable  —  remembering  Felice,  perhaps,  and  the 
emptiness  of  life  without  her. 

"  Senor,  should  you  chance  to  see  that  great  hombre 
who  whipped  Manuel  so  completely,  you  would  do  well 
to  give  the  warning.  Me,  I  heard  from  Ronaldo  last 
night  that  Manuel  spoke  many  threats  against  that 
gringo  who  had  beaten  him.  Carlos  also  —  and  I  think 
they  mean  ill  towards  the  Senor  Seem'son.  Me,  I 
thought  to  ride  that  way  to-morrow  and  give  the  word 
of  warning." 

"  We  're  going  there  now,"  said  Jack,  with  some 
difficulty  holding  the  yellow  horse  quiet,  while  he  shook 
hands  with  Valencia.  "  Adios,  Valencia.  If  you  ever 
come  near  our  mine,  remember  that  what  we  have  will 
be  yours  also." 

"  Gracias,  gracias  —  adios  —  "  He  stood  staring 
regretfully  after  them  when  they  started  erratically 
down  the  slope;  erratically,  because  Solano  preferred 
going  backward  or  sidewise,  or  straight  up  and  down, 
to  going  forward.  They  were  not  two  hundred  yards 
away  from  the  stable  when  Valencia  overtook  them, 
having  saddled  in  haste  that  he  might  ride  with  them 
for  a  way. 


ADIOS  841 

"  That  caballo,  he  needs  two  to  show  him  the  way, 
Seiiors,"  grinned  Valencia,  to  explain  his  coming. 
"  Me,  I  shall  help  to  get  him  started,  and  we  will  say 
adios  farther  up  the  valley,  unless  the  senors  desire  to 
ride  to  Senor  Seem'son's  cabin." 

"  That 's  where  we  're  headed  for,  believe  it  or  not !  " 
laughed  Jack,  who  at  that  moment  was  going  round 
and  round  in  a  circle.  "  When  he  gets  so  dizzy  he  can't 
tell  up  from  down,  maybe  he  '11  do  as  I  say  about  going 
straight  ahead." 

Eventually  Solano  did  decide  to  move  forward;  and 
he  did  so  at  such  a  pace  that  speedily  they  reached 
Jerry's  claim  and  galloped  furiously  up  the  slope  to 
the  cabin. 

"  Must  be  asleep,"  Dade  remarked  carelessly,  when 
they  faced  a  quiet,  straight-hanging  bullock  hide. 

But  when  a  loud  hallo  brought  no  sign,  even  from 
Tige,  he  jumped  off  and  went  to  investigate  the  silence. 

"  There  ain't  a  single  soul  here,"  he  announced,  "  and 
that 's  funny,  too.  They  always  leave  Tige  to  watch 
the  place,  you  know  —  or  they  did  before  I  went  on 
rodeo." 

"  They  do  yet,"  said  Jack.  "  Only  Mrs.  Jerry  never 
goes  anywhere.  She  stays  at  home  to  watch  their  gar 
den.  That 's  it,  over  there ;  her  '  truck  patch,'  she  calls 
it." 


842  THE    GRINGOS 

"  Things  are  all  upset  here.  Get  off,  Jack,  and 
let 9s  see  what 's  up.  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  things, 
myself."  Dade's  face  was  growing  sober. 

Valencia,  on  the  ground,  was  helping  Jack  with 
Solano.  But  he  turned  suddenly  and  cast  an  uneasy 
glance  towards  the  quiet  log  hut. 

"  Senors,  for  these  two  who  live  here  I  am  afraid ! 
It  is  as  I  told  you;  that  Manuel  was  speaking  threats 
against  the  big  senor,  last  night;  and  he  had  drunk 
much  wine,  so  that  he  walked  not  steady.  And  with 
Carlos  and  perhaps  one  or  two  others  —  of  that  I  am 
not  sure  —  he  rode  away  soon  after  dark.  Dolt,  that 
I  did  not  tell  thee  at  the  time!  But  I  was  dancing 
much,"  he  confessed,  "  and  the  fiesta  dance  makes 
drunken  the  feet,  that  they  must  dance  —  " 

"  Well,  tie  up  that  mustang  and  never  mind."  Bade 
was  walking  aimlessly  about,  looking  for  something  — 
what,  he  did  not  know.  "  There  's  tracks  all  around, 
and  —  "  he  disappeared  behind  the  cabin. 

In  a  minute  he  was  calling  them,  and  his  tone  brought 
them  on  the  run.  "  Now,  what  do  you  make  of  that  ?  " 
he  wanted  to  know,  and  pointed; 

Two  fresh  mounds  of  earth,  narrow,  long  —  graves, 
if  size  and  shape  meant  anything  at  all.  The  form  of 
a  "  T  "  they  made  there  in  the  grass ;  for  one  was  short 
and  extended  across,  near  one  end  of  the  larger  one. 


ADIOS  348 

"  What  do  you  make  of  that  ?  "  Bade  repeated,  much 
lower  than  before. 

"  Senors,  evil  has  been  done  here.    Me,  I  think  —  " 

"  Don't  think !  Bring  that  shovel,  over  there  —  see 
it,  by  the  tree  ?  —  and  dig.  There  's  one  way  to  find 
out  what  it  means." 

Valencia  did  not  want  to  dig  into  those  mounds,  but 
the  voice  was  that  of  his  majordomo,  whom  he  had  for 
a  month  obeyed  implicitly.  He  got  the  shovel  and  he 
dug.  And  since  it  seemed  too  bad  to  make  him  do  all 
the  work,  Jack  and  Dade  each  took  their  turn  in 
opening  the  grave. 

And  in  that  grave  they  found  Mrs.  Jerry,  wrapped 
in  her  faded  patchwork  quilt,  her  hands  folded  at  peace, 
her  wistful  brown  eyes  closed  softly  —  There  was  no 
need  to  speculate  long  upon  the  cause  of  her  death.  Her 
shapeless  brown  dress  was  stained  dark  from  throat  to 
waist.  Dade,  shuddering  a  little,  very  gently  lifted 
the  hands  that  were  folded ;  beneath  was  the  hole  where 
the  bullet  had  struck. 

"  Dios !  "  said  Valencia,  in  a  whisper. 

They  were  three  white-faced  young  men  who  stood 
there,  abashed  before  the  tragedy  they  had  uncovered. 
After  a  little,  they  filled  the  grave  again  and  stood 
back,  trying  to  think  the  thing  out  and  to  think  it  out 
calmly.  They  drew  away  from  the  spot,  Dade  leading. 


844  THE    GRINGOS 

"  We  don't  need  to  open  the  other  one,"  he  said. 
"  That  holds  Tige,  of  course.  I  wonder  —  " 

"  Let  's  look  around  out  there  in  the  bushes,"  Jack 
suggested.  "  I  can  see  how  the  thing  must  have  hap 
pened  ;  somebody  came  and  started  shooting  —  and  that 
rifle  he  called  Jemina,  and  the  two  pistols  —  don't  you 
reckon  they  did  some  good  for  themselves  ?  " 

"  Probably  —  if  Jerry  was  here." 

"  Man,  he  must  have  been  here !  Who  else  —  "he 
tilted  his  head  towards  the  graves.  Surely,  no  one  but 
Jerry  would  have  buried  them  so,  with  Tige  lying  at 
the  feet  of  his  mistress.  And,  as  Jack  presently  pointed 
out,  if  the  shooting  had  taken  place  in  Jerry's  absence, 
he  would  certainly  have  notified  them  at  the  ranch. 
And  Jack  had  a  swift  mental  picture  of  Jerry  galloping 
furiously  up  to  the  patio  on  one  of  his  mules,  brandish 
ing  his  rifle,  while  he  shouted  to  all  around  him  the 
news  of  this  terrible,  unbelievable  thing  that  had  be 
fallen  him. 

They  did  not  search  long  before  they  found  plenty 
of  evidence  that  Jerry  had  been  there  at  the  time  of 
the  trouble.  They  found  Manuel  lying  on  his  back, 
with  his  beard  clotted  and  stained  red,  and  his  black 
eyes  staring  dully  at  the  sky.  Farther  along  they  came 
upon  Carlos,  lying  upon  his  face,  with  a  blood-stained 
trail  behind  him  in  the  grass  to  show  how  far  he  had 


ADIOS  845 

crawled  before  death  overtook  him.  But  they  did  not 
find  Jerry,  look  where  they  would. 

In  the  cabin,  where  they  finally  went  to  search  sys 
tematically  for  clews,  they  found  places  where  the  logs 
had  been  splintered  near  the  loopholes  with  bullets  from 
without.  A  siege  it  had  been,  then. 

Jack,  more  familiar  with  the  interior  than  either 
of  the  others  because  of  his  frequent  visits  there  with 
Teresita,  missed  certain  articles;  the  frying  pan,  an 
iron  pot,  a  few  dishes,  and  the  bedding,  to  be  exact. 

So,  finally,  they  decided  that  Jerry,  having  had  the 
worst  befall  him,  had  buried  his  dead,  packed  a  few 
necessary  things  upon  one  of  the  mules,  mounted  the 
other,  and  had  gone  —  where  ?  There  was  no  telling 
where,  in  that  big  land.  Somewhere  into  the  wilder 
ness,  they  guessed,  where  he  could  be  alone  with  the 
deadly  hurt  Fate  and  his  enemies  had  given  him. 

The  oxen,  when  they  went  outside,  came  shambling 
up  the  slope  to  the  oak  tree  where  they  were  wont  to 
spend  the  night  near  the  prairie  schooner  that  had  been 
their  homing  place  for  many  a  month.  But  without  a 
doubt  the  mules  were  gone;  otherwise,  Jack  insisted, 
they  would  be  near  the  oxen,  as  was  their  gregarious 
habit. 

"  Jerry  's  gone  —  pulled  out,"  Jack  asserted  for  the 
third  or  fourth  time.  "  And  the  mules,  and  —  the  pup. 


346  THE    GRINGOS 

Where  's  Chico  ?  I  have  n't  seen  or  heard  anything  of 
him ;  have  you  ?  " 

They  had  not;  and  they  immediately  began  calling 
and  looking  for  Chico,  who  was  at  that  stage  of  puppy- 
hood  that  insists  upon  getting  in  front  of  one  and  then 
falling  down  and  lying,  paws  in  the  air,  waiting  to  be 
picked  up  and  petted.  But  Chico  did  not  come  lum 
bering  up  like  an  animated  black  muff;  and  they  could 
not  find  his  little,  dead  body. 

It  occurred  to  Dade  that  he  might  be  buried  with 
Tige;  and,  once  the  idea  was  presented  to  Jack,  he 
could  not  content  himself  to  leave  the  place  until  he 
knew  to  a  certainty.  He  would  never  have  admitted 
it,  but  there  were  certain  sweet  memories  which  made 
that  particular  pup  not  at  all  like  other  black  pups. 
He  got  the  shovel,  and  he  dug  in  the  little  grave  until 
he  was  certain  that  Tige  lay  there,  and  that  he  was 
alone. 

"  Well,  he 's  taken  the  pup  along,  then ;  and  that 
proves  to  me  that  Jerry  was  n't  crazy,  or  anything  like 
that.  He  's  just  pulled  out,  because  he  could  n't  stand 
it  around  here  any  longer  —  and  I  don't  blame  him. 
But  I  wish  I  knew  where ;  we  'd  take  him  up  to  the 
mine  with  us ;  huh  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  but  we  're  about  fourteen  hours  too  late 
to  find  out  where  he  went.  If  I  'm  any  judge,  these 


ADIOS  347 

bodies  have  been  dead  that  long.  And  if  we  found  him, 
the  chances  are  he  would  n't  go.  If  I  'm  any  good  at 
guessing  poor  Jerry's  state  of  mind,  right  now,  he 
don't  want  to  see  or  speak  to  any  human  being  on 
earth." 

"  I  guess  you  're  right,"  Jack  assented,  after  a  medi 
tative   pause.      "  He  just  worshiped  that   poor  little 


woman." 


Beyond  that,  neither  of  them  attempted  to  put  into 
speech  the  tragedy;  it  was  beyond  the  poor  words  we 
have  thus  far  coined  for  our  needs,  like  many  another 
thing  that  happens  in  these  lives  we  live.  They  waited 
a  little  while  longer,  wondering  what  they  could  or 
should  do. 

Mrs.  Jerry  lay  easily  where  she  had  been  placed  by 
the  man  who  loved  her.  The  killers  had  been  killed 
by  the  same  hand  that  laid  her  deep,  in  her  faded, 
patchwork  quilt.  There  seemed  nothing  further  to  be 
done. 

But  Valencia,  when  he  had  ridden  a  thoughtful  half- 
mile,  did  think  of  something. 

"  Me,  I  shall  give  ten  pesos  of  the  gold  I  won  yes 
terday  upon  the  duelo,"  he  said,  glancing  back  at  the 
grim  little*cabin,  "  that  mass  may  be  said  for  the  re 
pose  of  the  Sefiora  Seem'son's  soul.  For  thus  will  sleep 
come  easier  to  me,  Senors.  And  you  ?  " 


348  THE    GRINGOS 

"  I  think,  Valencia,  if  I  were  going  to  say  any 
prayers,  they  'd  be  said  for  Jerry,"  Bade  told  him. 
"He  needs  'em  worse  than  she  does." 

"  Oh,  come  on,  Dade ;  let 's  be  getting  out  of  this 
valley !  "  Jack  urged  irritably.  "  And  I  hope,"  he 
added,  "  I  '11  never  see  the  place  again !  " 

"  But,  Seiior !  "  Valencia  rode  alongside  to  protest  al 
most  tearfully,  "  The  valley,  it  is  not  to  be  blame.  Saw 
you  ever  a  sweeter  land  than  this  ?  "  He  flung  his 
arm  outward  to  include  the  whole  beautiful  expanse 
of  it.  "  The  valley,  it  is  glorious !  Am  I  not  right  ? 
Blame  not  the  beautiful  land,  Seiior,  for  the  trouble 
that  has  come;  for  trouble  will  find  a  man  out,  though 
he  climb  the  loneliest  mountain  peak  and  hide  himself 
among  the  rocks  there !  And  the  valley  —  Senors,  the 
valley  will  hold  friends  that  are  true  to  thee." 

Jack  flushed  at  the  reproach ;  flushed  and  owned  him 
self  wrong.  "  I  '11  remember  the  friends,"  he  said. 
"  And  I  '11  forget  the  things  that  hurt ;  I  'm  a  selfish 
brute  —  whee-ee !  I  should  say !  "  He  pulled  up  as 
short  as  Solano  would  let  him,  and  stared  from  Dade 
to  Valencia  with  guilty  eyes. 

"Diego  —  I  forgot  that  Injun,  Dade;  and  next  to 
you,  I  believe  he  's  the  best  friend  I  've  got  on  earth ! 
I  was  so  wrapped  up  in  my  own  bruises  that  I  clean 
overlooked  something  that  I  ought  to  be  mighty  grate- 


ADIOS  349 

ful  for.  Dade,  do  you  think  he  'd  like  to  go  along  to 
the  mine  ?  You  know  his  wife  died  a  few  months  ago, 
and  he  's  kind  of  alone ;  do  you  think  he  'd  go  ?  " 

"  I  think  the  chance  to  go  would  look  like  a  ticket 
to  glory,"  Dade  assured  him  sententiously. 

Whereupon  Jack  dismounted,  that  he  might  write 
a  few  lines  as  he  had  written  the  note  to  Bill  Wilson, 
a  couple  of  months  before :  with  a  leaf  from  his  memo 
randum  book  and  a  bullet  for  pencil. 

"  Give  that  to  Don  Andres,  will  you,  Valencia  ?  It  's 
to  ask  how  much  is  Diego's  debt,  and  to  say  that  I  '11 
pay  it  if  the  peon  wants  to  come  with  me.  We  '11  wait 
in  town  until  we  hear;  perhaps  Don  Andres  will  let 
you  come  up  with  Diego  —  that  is,  if  Diego  wants  to 
come.  You  ask  him,  Valencia." 

"  He  will  come,  Senor ;  nothing  would  give  him 
greater  joy.  And,"  he  added  wishfully,  "  but  for  my 
sweetheart,  Sefiors,  I  would  ask  that  I  might  come  with 
you  also !  " 

"  You  stick  to  your  sweetheart,  Valencia  —  if  she  's 
true,"  Jack  advised  him  somberly.  "  Now,  Dade,  I 
guess  we  're  ready  for  the  long  ride  to  supper.  Why 
don't  you  kick  me  for  being  such  a  selfish  cuss  ?  " 

"  Maybe  because  I  'm  used  to  you,"  Dade's  lips 
quirked  humorously  after  the  retort.  "  You  're  just 
Jack  —  and  you  could  n't  be  any  different,  I  reckon, 


350  THE    GRINGOS 

if  you  tried.  Well,  come  along,  then.  Adios, 
Valencia." 

Once  more  they  shook  hands  solemnly  with  the 
vaquero,  who  had  no  smile  for  the  parting. 

"  Adios,  adios,"  Valencia  called  lingeringly  after 
them,  and  held  his  horse  quiet  that  he  might  gaze  after 
them  until  a  willow  bend  hid  them  finally  from  his 
view. 


THE  END 


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